Sports have been around us for thousands of years, and men and women have shown the peak of human performance in every single athletic event. Some of them have demonstrated superhuman abilities, for example Michael Phels and his swimming, Usain Bold and his running record, Billie Jean King and his excellent tennis, Katherin Switzer and her finishing the Boston Marathon, and many more incredible sportsmen and sportswomen.
However, today, we will look at the Polish tennis player Iga Świątek’s breaking into the world of fame and glory.
Iga Świątek Early Career
Born in Warsaw, Poland, in 2001, Iga Świątek grew up in a sports-oriented family. Her father Tomasz represented Poland in rowing in the Olympic Games in Seoul in 1988.
Świątek participated in an interview with the media outlet Players Tribune and spoke about life in Poland during her childhood. She mentioned that her father consistently backed and supported 100% of her tennis career dreams. Despite the high cost of hiring coaches, he never gave up. Her father, an Olympic rower, saw his daughter becoming an even greater athlete than anyone else.
In 2016, the Polish tennis player won her first pro tournament in Stockholm. By 2018, just before turning 18, she had won the Roland-Garros doubles, the singles title at Wimbledon, and the gold medal at the Youth Olympic Games in Argentina. Her opportunities became clear at the 2020 French Open, where Świątek became a Grand Slam champion. In this game, we saw Świątek winning against Simona Halep in the fourth round. It was a top-speed match for many professionals. Later she grabbed her victory over Sofia Kenin in the final match and made herself welcome into tennis history at the tender age of only 19.
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Iga Świątek’s Playing Style
Świątek can be compared to the legendary player Serena Williams. Her serving is not as strong as William’s or Graph’s, but the variety of serving techniques is what stands out in her style. From hitting either the ad, dus cord, or slice serve to the forehand, this unique variety of serves makes her win 70% of points on the first serve.
When it comes to the return of serves, over 50% of them are successfully back, giving her the top position in points, which no other top player has. All of this is thanks to her ability to anticipate, which lets her know where the ball will land, take it early, and hit as hard as she can, and get many points. Also, the grip of the tennis racquet is tricky here because the western grip is not viable for hitting hard. However, we can notice that she hits the ball as hard as possible and gets the advantage over other opponents.
Another of her advantages in playing style is her slice and footwork. Her slicing is incredible, and she is unique in a few words. Świątek can slide on any surface, from clay and cement to grass.
Mental health is essential to any player and directly affects the game. Iga always travels with a psychologist, Daria Abramowicz. In this way, Iga can block the noise around her and concentrate solely on the game, maintaining a calm attitude and keeping nerves cold under pressure.
Iga Świątek’s Impact on Women’s Tennis
Every so often, we see the best athletes on our screens and think that it is impossible to achieve that kind of strength and excellence. Well, our sport dreams come true when it comes to the new generation of sportsmen with Iga Świątek among them. She was born in 2001 and by 2025, at 23 years old, has been compared with the best tennis players in the world, who are mainly older and with much more experience than she.
That is the legacy she is giving us and all young sportsmen and sportswomen. She is bringing to reality the fact that we all can be the best of the best in our field, giving us all hope to achieve the peak of our own career mountain.
Furthermore, her determination and advocacy for mental health awareness made history. In 2021, Iga donated 50,000 USD of her prize money to support World Mental Health Day. She said, “I would say in sports, for me, it was always important to use that kind of help because I always thought that in my mental toughness there is some strength that I can use on court and I can also develop in that manner.”
In August 2022, Świątek participated in the Tennis Plays for Peace exhibition with other famous players, such as Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz. All the profits went to the non-profit Tennis Plays for Peace organization.
Iga Świątek’s Key Matches
Among hundreds of games, titles, and winnings, some matches just stand out in an amazing manner, and we need to take the time to analyze them. Some key matches of Świątek are:
- Mutua Madrid Open 2024: In May 2024, Świątek played against Aryna Sabalenka. This thrilling match was won by Iga and became her 20th victory in her WTA career.
- French Open Semifinal 2024: In the summer of 2024, Coco Gauff played against Iga, where Świątek’s dominance was once again on display and let her go to the final of the Roland Garros.
- French Open 2023: Świątek defeated Haddad Maia 6-2, 7-6. This match was a test to Iga, a hard game with both players with unique game styles. However, Iga’s resilience gave her a chance to take the cup home.
- Stuttgart Open 2023: Świątek won against Sabalenka and got the second Stuttgart title and the name “Queen of the Clay.”
- Rome Open 2021: One of the most commemorable matches for Iga Świątek. A one-sided victory against Karolina Pliskova 6-0, 6-0. It remains one of the best moments and matches in WTA history.
Conclusion
We have seen and been witnesses to a rising star in women’s tennis, a new kind of player who mixes strength, footwork, and cold nerves. It is a totally unique combination that we have seen just a couple of times through these decades. The future is bright for this young player, but so far, she is being compared to the best of the best and she is writing her own tennis story.