Of the 12 contests played in Beijing, five were cut short—three on the women’s side and two on the men’s—sparking fresh concern about player workload and the physical toll of the sport’s compressed season.
China’s Zheng Qinwen, returning from elbow surgery, was among those forced to stop, retiring in the third set against Linda Nosková. World No. 2 Iga Świątek advanced after Colombia’s Camila Osorio pulled out following a 6-0 first set, while France’s Loïs Boisson ended her match against Emma Navarro early in the second. On the men’s side, Czech teenager Jakub Menšík lasted just five games against Alex de Minaur, and Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti withdrew midway through a deciding set against American teenager Learner Tien.
The retirements followed two similar withdrawals on Sunday involving Spain’s Paula Badosa and Czechia’s Barbora Krejčíková, raising the total to seven in less than 48 hours. According to a 2024 study, the historical mid-match retirement rate on tour is less than 2 percent. Monday’s figures alone amounted to 45 percent.
Świątek, who has repeatedly voiced concern about player welfare under the new WTA structure, warned that she may be forced to skip some tournaments even if they are classified as mandatory.
“WTA with all these mandatory rules, they made this pretty crazy for us,” she told reporters. “I don’t think any top player will actually be able to achieve this, playing the six 500 tournaments. It’s just impossible to squeeze it in the schedule. We have to be smart about it … and think what’s healthy for us.”
The WTA initially declined to comment on Świątek’s remarks but later issued a statement insisting that “athlete welfare is always a top priority.” The organisation defended its 2024 reforms, which increased the number of mandatory events to 16—10 at the 1000 level and six at the 500 level—arguing that the changes have helped raise player compensation by $400 million and boost fan engagement.
Medical voices have also weighed in. Dr. Robby Sikka, the PTPA’s medical director, said via text that fatigue at this stage of the season naturally leads to more retirements, but pointed to the growing physical intensity of the sport as another factor. “The competition level is more fierce than ever … you’re seeing athletes across all sports improving, developing, and pushing physical limits. This is some of the natural risk when you combine increasing velocity and power with end-of-season fatigue,” he noted.
The China Opens continue this week with the women’s quarterfinals and men’s semifinals on Tuesday. Play on Monday concluded with Daniil Medvedev defeating Alexander Zverev, who has himself been playing through back pain. Once the men’s final ends on Wednesday, the ATP tour will head straight into the Shanghai Masters, while the WTA’s players are due in Wuhan for another mandatory 1000 event the day after the Beijing final—adding fuel to concerns about a calendar many top players consider unsustainable.