Iga Swiatek may have got a glimpse of the player who will challenge her supremacy at the top of the women’s game after an epic battle against Mirra Andreeva in Cincinnati – as the world No 1 admitted she is exhausted ahead of the US Open.

Andreeva is one of the most talked about players in the game and she confirmed her potential with a thrilling performance in her first career clash against world No 1 Swiatek.

Swiatek will play Arnya Sabalenka in the Cincinnati semi-finals after a thrilling win against Andreeva, as she admitted she was pushed all the way by Andreeva.

“She’s 17, but I feel we were playing at the same level,” said Swiatek. “It was a tight match. Every point matters at the end. It was not easy for sure.

“I knew I could not play in the same way. I needed to put more pressure on her.

“I played more proactive and had a better idea of what I needed to do. The same rhythm (as the first set) would not be enough. I changed things and felt the results right away.”

Swiatek’s views on the match against Andreeva were not as compelling as her passionate plea to tennis officials as she spoke to Sky Sports.

The Pole has had a hectic couple of months that included a win at the French Open, a surprise defeat against Yulia Putintseva, a bronze medal at the Paris Olympic Games and a quick turnaround to play in Cincinnati.

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That packed schedule was at the forefront of her mind as she made an unexpected plea to tennis chiefs to give players more time to prepare for major events.

“What can I say? I’ve been kind of an advocate in saying that we shouldn’t, I don’t know… be pushing and pushing for us to play more,” said Swiatek.

“Obviously it is not our decision, but for sure I think we have too many tournaments in the season. It’s not going to end well.

“It makes tennis less fun for us. Obviously, I love playing in all these places, but it’s pretty exhausting. Most of the players will tell you that. Especially when you are playing at the higher level and going to the end of tournaments.

“I don’t think it should be like that because we deserve to rest a little bit more. Maybe people are going to hate me for saying that.

“I’m asking for rest. That doesn’t make sense, but the best players learn how to balance it out wherever the ATP or WTA are pushing. We will see in the future how it works out.”

This was a vivid cry for help from Swiatek and the Polish star does not need to fear a backlash from a tennis community that will support her in the call for a new tennis schedule that is a little more kind to its biggest stars.

Tennis has been trying to find a solution to its scheduling problems for generations and while the prize money on offer now is an attractive compensation for the fatigue players feel, Swiatek is clearly struggling to maintain her levels of excellence amid such a tough run of tournaments and very limited rest periods.

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