Iga Świątek withdraws from US Open mixed doubles to focus on singles after 11 hardcourt matches

Mixed doubles withdrawal

Iga Świątek withdrew from the mixed doubles competition at the 2026 US Open on the evening of 23 August. Tournament organizers first revealed the change by publishing an updated draw around 22:00 Polish time without the Polish player's name. Shortly afterward, Świątek published an official statement on Instagram explaining her decision to step back from the event. She noted that her choice followed detailed consultations with her coaching team after an arduous schedule on hard courts. The decision allows her to dedicate the coming days to rest, physical recovery and targeted preparation for the singles tournament.

She addressed her scheduled partner Casper Ruud in the statement while confirming her plans for the tournament in New York.

After several physically demanding weeks on court and after talking with my team, I made the decision that it will be best if I skip the mixed doubles event at the US Open this year. Now I need a few days to rest, recharge batteries and fully focus on preparing for the singles competition. As always, I could not wait to play alongside Casper Ruud, so Casper, until next time. Thank you all for the constant support. See you soon on the courts in New York.

Intensive North American hardcourt swing

The withdrawal follows a demanding three-week campaign across North America where Świątek played 11 matches across two consecutive WTA 1000 tournaments. In Toronto, she won the singles championship, securing her first tournament trophy in nearly 11 months. She carried that momentum to Cincinnati, stringing together a 10-match winning streak across both events before reaching the semifinals. Her run concluded on the night of 22 to 23 August, when Jessica Pegula defeated her in the final games of the third set. Świątek had previously stated her intention to structure her season schedule more cautiously to avoid physical fatigue and overload.

Roster changes and 2025 finalists

Świątek and Ruud entered the tournament aiming to build on their run to the mixed doubles final in New York during the 2025 edition. In that final, the Polish-Norwegian duo took the second set before falling to the Italian pairing of Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori by a score of 3:6, 7:5, 6-10. Following Świątek's withdrawal, Ruud secured a new partnership with Diana Shnaider for the 2026 draw. Shnaider had also become available after her initial partner, Daniil Medvedev, pulled out of mixed doubles. Medvedev opted out of the New York mixed draw to focus entirely on singles competition at the ATP 250 event in Winston-Salem.

US Open schedule and Fan Week format

The mixed doubles event takes place from 24 to 26 August as part of US Open Fan Week, held immediately ahead of the main singles competition. The tournament adopted this modified schedule in 2025 to enable singles players to enter mixed doubles without creating scheduling conflicts with singles rounds. The 2026 entry list features several pairings of top singles competitors, including Aryna Sabalenka playing with Novak Djokovic, as well as Elena Rybakina partnering with Taylor Fritz. Mixed doubles qualifying opens on 24 August, followed by main draw competition starting on Tuesday, 25 August. Main draw singles matches begin on Sunday, 30 August 2026, with first-round fixtures scheduled across three days.