Iga Swiatek’s fans were left devastated when the defending champion withdrew from the Miami Open due to a rib injury just before her opening match against Claire Liu.
World No.1 had already mentioned her struggle with the ailment during Indian Wells and had hinted that she may not be able to participate in Miami.
Swiatek explained that a strong cough episode following a previous infection had led to the rib injury and that she had been trying to manage the condition to continue playing until it became too painful.
Although she suggested that the injury was not too serious, she did not provide a timeline for her return and confirmed that she would not be playing in Poland’s Billie Jean King Cup qualifier against Kazakhstan in April.
