The Wuhan Open is in full swing, but the tournament hasn’t gone quite as organisers had hoped.
Emma Raducanu was forced to retire from her opening match as high temperatures and humidity continued to disrupt play.
Iga Swiatek called for better scheduling given the conditions before losing in the quarter-finals.
Aryna Sabalenka, Jasmine Paolini, Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula are still in the draw, but much of the focus has shifted away from the tennis itself.
Players have continued to raise concerns about how dangerous it is to play in those conditions. Magdalena Frech added her voice after exiting the tournament. The Pole was knocked out by Wang Xiyu.
WTA title-winner criticises Wuhan Open following her elimination
Frech, who has one WTA title to her name, exited the tournament in the round of 16 after losing to Laura Siegemund. She later took to social media to express her frustration with how the event was being run.
She wrote on X: “In response to the avalanche of negative ratings and comments after the last game, I would like to inform you that sometimes I regret it, but I am not a machine.
“Although I have the impression that the organisers treat us like this when setting a game plan. Playing 3 days in a row from 13-16, in extreme conditions, unfortunately it affected my health, which I always put first.
“Playing at 36 degrees, with high smog, heated concrete and extreme humidity is acceptable if it does not happen every day. Unfortunately, the accumulation of this effort has consequences.
“I’ve never felt anything like yesterday despite a few years spent on tour. Overpowering lack of energy and constant struggle of negative thoughts that tried to stop my body from another effort.”
Wuhan Open highlights ongoing scheduling issues in tennis
Ranked 53rd in the world, Frech gave everything she had against Siegemund, but eventually lost 4-6, 6-7(2-7) to the German. Her path to that match came after Karolina Muchova retired from their earlier contest, unable to cope with the tough conditions.
READ MORE: Jessica Pegula set to benefit from Rybakina defeat to Sabalenka in Wuhan Open
Tournament withdrawals and retirements have become increasingly common across both the WTA and ATP tours, raising questions about whether changes will be made.
Daria Kasatkina has already chosen to end her season early after reaching what she described as “breaking point,” and she’s not alone in making that call.
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