Are we slaves? Iga Swiatek shot down the Dubai tournament director after threatening penalties

World No. 3 Iga Swiatek has hit out at Dubai Championships tournament director Salah Tahlak after he proposed tougher penalties for her and Arya Sabalenka’s withdrawal from the tournament. Tahlak expressed frustration at the last-minute withdrawal and said players should face harsher penalties, including docking points in the rankings, instead of just financial penalties.

Sabalenka withdrew due to a minor hip injury, Swiatek withdrew due to a roster change. In response to Tahlak’s remarks, Swiatek defended the players’ right to manage their schedule and prioritize fitness, adding that losing ranking points is punishment enough to withdraw from tournaments.

“I’ve heard about the complaints, but I haven’t heard about the penalty, probably because it’s a bit ridiculous (laughs). We have the right to withdraw whenever we want. I honestly don’t see a problem with that,” Swiatek told reporters ahead of the French Open.

“If we’re not fit or we don’t feel like it’s the right time for us to play a tournament like, are we slaves? We can decide, so I don’t see a problem with that. We get zero in the rankings. That’s a punishment,” added Swiatek.

Formerly, Sabalenka also fell hard on the Dubai tournament directorcalled his remarks “ridiculous” and said the situation was not handled well. She expressed disappointment with the organizers and accused them of caring more about ticket sales and the tournament than protecting the players.

HOW SABALENKA, SWIATEK ARE PREPARING FOR THE FRENCH OPEN

Swiatek and Sabalenka head into the French Open as two of the leading contenders for the women’s singles title at Roland Garros. Widely regarded as the ‘Queen of Clay’, Swiatek has already won the French Open four times in 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2024 and remains one of the most dominant players on the Paris clay courts.

Swiatek is sharpening her preparations in Paris after her semi-final exit in Rome and is using practice sessions to fine-tune her game ahead of the tournament. After losing the crown in 2025, the Pole aims to win the title.

Meanwhile, Sabalenka arrives at Roland Garros determined to win her first French Open title. The world number one reached her first ever French Open final in 2025 after ending Swiatek’s 26-match winning streak in Paris. but lost to Coco Gauff in the championship match.

The Belarusian has dealt with lower back and hip problems during the clay season but recently said she feels 100 per cent fit and ready to challenge for the title in Paris.

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Issued by:

sabyasachi chowdhury

Published on:

23 May 2026 11:14 IST

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