Remember how Carlos Alcaraz‘s nightmarish scheduling pattern prompted former icon Alex Corretja, last month, to make an honest plea? After the Spaniard’s Wimbledon campaign wrapped up with a loss against arch rival Jannik Sinner, Corretja urged, “I never interfere in the schedule my great friend Juan Carlos Ferrero (coach) decides with Carlos Alcaraz, but I just hope he doesn’t go to Toronto.” He simply wanted Alcaraz to skip the Canadian Open and get proper break ahead of the singles campaign at the US Open. Thankfully, the five-time slam winner chose to not participate in Toronto. And guess what? A similar sentiment has now surfaced regarding six-time slam queen and this year’s Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek.

Swiatek’s currently competing at the Cincinnati Open where she’s reached the final for the first time. The Pole will take on Italy’s Jasmine Paolini while trying to capture the trophy, 1000 ranking points and $752,275 in prize money. Once she wraps up her campaign here, the next stop is New York. There’s going to be no break for her, however, as Swiatek’s registered for the  US Open’s newly revamped mixed doubles event (ahead of her singles campaign afterwards), starting from August 19. With her teammate and ATP pro Casper Ruud, the Pole will take on American WTA star Madison Keys and her compatriot Frances Tiafoe in the opening battle.

Now, tennis insider Randy Walker has come out with a serious request: he doesn’t want Swiatek to play US Open mixed doubles. On X he wrote, “If I’m in Iga Swiatek’s camp I’d probably tell her to bail on US Open mixed doubles.” Citing the reason, Walker added, “She and Casper are not really doubles players and if they lose in the first round, they get only 10K…and, more importantly, she needs to rest physically and mentally before the start of singles”

Well, Walker’s concerns are valid when looked at from the perspective of how Swiatek’s Cincinnati campaign has turned out. Especially when it comes to coping with extreme weather conditions. Being exposed to constant heat may result in more wear and tear especially if the match stretches on

Thankfully, Swiatek has somehow managed to overcome this heat related hurdle. However, she also believes that additional remedies and tips can eventually lead to a better player experience in order to beat the heat. But how exactly?

Iga Swiatek on how players can overcome the heat in Cincinnati

The Cincinnati Open has been nothing less than a furnace for players this season. They have witnessed temperatures hitting the low-to-mid 30 °C (the low 90s Fahrenheit). Result? Growing humidity and on-court challenges to remain physically stable in order to play for extended hours.

After Swiatek won her quarterfinal encounter against Anna Kalinskaya, she was asked to comment on the heat situation. Expressing honest thoughts, she spoke about how organizers can play a key role for players to tackle the warm conditions. “I mean, this kind of heat is like something that we just need to survive, survive. And it’s not like we can’t. I think, maybe giving us like five more seconds to use the towel or to have more time to breathe because it is a bit harder, you know, would be nice. But besides that, I think we can handle it.” 

While sharing crucial tips and possible solutions, she did acknowledge how the event has provided several practical aids. She said, “it’s nice that we have ice towels on a bench and the AC is kind of next to us. So this is for sure helpful. Without it, I think it would be much worse.” Reiterating her sentiments, however, she concluded, “But the only thing, maybe like two more seconds to use the towel, but you know, I’ll always be the player to ask for that.”

Right now, she must be feeling the heat of the final. Swiatek would like to create history in Cincinnati with a maiden title win.