Iga Swiatek leads annual WTA charge into the Maldives for off-season vacation

While winter is coming for most in the western hemisphere, it’s summer vacation for the world’s top tennis players, and there’s no better slice of paradise on offer than the Maldives.

The tiny island is typically teeming with WTA talent at this time of year, and the 2023 off-season is no different with trips made by the likes of world No. 1 Iga Swiatek, Marketa Vondrousova, Liudmila Samsonova, and Donna Vekic.

Vekic has made the Maldives her annual off-season spot, and has no plans of changing things up despite the growing encroachment from her fellow rivals.

“I know everyone goes there,” she smirked at the Citi Open back in 2022, “but for me, it’s the only place after a long season where I can completely switch off and rest really well.”

Swiatek checked in from the Maldives shortly after finishing her thrilling end to the 2023 season with a maiden victory at the WTA Finals in Cancun, which assured her the year-end No. 1 ranking for a second year in a row.

“I've been waiting and worked hard for this,” captioned Swiatek, who shouted out travel sponsor Planet Escape on her Instagram post. #ad

Vondrousova joined Swiatek after making her own debut in Cancun, capping a breakthrough season that featured an unforgettable run to the 2023 Wimbledon title.

“On island time,” captioned the Czech from the Ritz-Carlton.

Samsonova’s off-season began a little earlier after finishing the year at the WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai, giving her time to enjoy the island activities like fishing and snorkeling with coach and boyfriend Alessandro Dumitrache.

Will the Maldives be enough to refresh the players from a grueling season and prepare them for what promises to be an intense pre-season?