“The scheduling is super intense. It’s too intense. There’s no point for us to play over 20 tournaments in a year,” Iga Swiatek told reporters when asked in June about the biggest mental-health challenge for players. She is not wrong. The Polish star finished the 2025 season with 64 tour-level wins and 17 losses, helping her country qualify for the 2026 Billie Jean King Cup. Yet, with the 2026 season approaching, she has made a surprising choice. Despite her concerns about the packed calendar, Iga has decided to play an exhibition event in China before the new season begins, adding another commitment to her already demanding schedule.

Just a couple of days ago, the official Instagram page of the World Tennis Continental Cup shared a post praising Iga Swiatek. It read, “Six Grand Slam titles. Twenty-five tour victories. 125 weeks at the top of the world. Yet what defines her isn’t the numbers — it’s the rhythm. The calm before impact. The quiet that comes before another winner blurs past, and yes… maybe her ever-growing towel collection. 🎾 Iga Świątek joins Team Europe — bringing her unmatched focus, explosive groundstrokes, and champion’s resolve to Shenzhen. A player who builds pressure point by point.” 

The event will take place from December 26-28, 2025, and will feature Belinda Bencic, Arthur Fils, Wang Xinyu, Zhang Zhizhen, Andrey Rublev, Elena Rybakina, Iga Swiatek and Flavio Cobolli.

At the same time, another two-day exhibition will be held in Macau from December 27-28. That event will include Mirra Andreeva, Jakub Mensik, Jack Draper, Juncheng Shang and Alexandra Eala. Conchita Martinez and Li Na will serve as captains for the two teams competing there.

Meanwhile, in Dubai on December 28, Aryna Sabalenka will face Nick Kyrgios in a Battle of the Sexes match. For many top players, the season technically ends in November, but any break they get is extremely short due to these year-end exhibitions.

For Swiatek, choosing to play an exhibition after raising concerns about scheduling seems unusual. However, exhibitions are not the same as competitive WTA matches. These events are generally relaxed, played with a friendly atmosphere, and often emphasise entertainment over results.

Players frequently try creative shots they wouldn’t risk in tour matches. The physical intensity is lower, which reduces the chance of injury compared to official tournaments. While the risk does not disappear entirely, it is much smaller. The large appearance fees offered at these events also help explain why many players choose to participate.

Still, it raises questions because Swiatek’s comments about tight scheduling now appear to contradict her actions. She recently spoke about the demands of the calendar, yet committed to another off-season event.

And Swiatek is not the only one making this choice. Carlos Alcaraz is also planning to play in an exhibition before the new season begins, following a similar path despite concerns about overload.

Carlos Alcaraz set for New Jersey exhibition before new season

Like Iga Swiatek, Carlos Alcaraz has also been vocal about the demanding tennis schedule. Before the Paris Masters, he said, “obviously they have to do something with the calendar. The amount of tournaments that we have to play I think is too high.” Yet, just like Swiatek, Alcaraz will take part in an exhibition in the United States in early December.

He is set to play at the inaugural ‘A Racquet at The Rock’ event on December 7 at the Prudential Centre. This will be the first tennis event in the venue’s history and is expected to be a major celebration of the sport. The event will feature a match between 2025 Wimbledon and US Open finalist Amanda Anisimova and Jessica Pegula, who replaces Emma Raducanu.

After that, fans will see a headline clash between 2025 US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz and two-time US Open semifinalist Frances Tiafoe. It promises to be one of the most exciting exhibition matches of the off-season.

Alcaraz also shared his excitement about returning to New York. “Well, yeah, I mean, New York is always a pleasure being there,” he said. “I love playing there, and I’m really looking forward and excited about playing once again in New York. Against Frances it is always a great matchup against him. It’s always a pleasure.”

With the scheduling drama continuing, both WTA and ATP stars are choosing to play exhibitions before the new season begins. These events offer fun and entertainment, but one question remains.

Could these exhibitions affect the players’ physical condition before the new year starts? What do you think?