Iga Swiatek, the Polish tennis phenom whose dominance on clay has made her a household name, has opened up about the emotional toll of losing her World No. 1 ranking to Aryna Sabalenka in October 2024. After an extraordinary 125 weeks atop the WTA rankings—the seventh-longest reign in women’s tennis history—the 23-year-old faced a challenging 2025 season that saw her slip to eighth in the world. In a candid interview ahead of the Wimbledon Championships, set to begin on June 30, 2025, Swiatek revealed the bitterness that initially consumed her, offering a raw glimpse into her journey of acceptance and renewed focus. Her resilience, shaped by personal and professional trials, underscores her determination to reclaim her place among tennis’s elite.
Swiatek’s 2025 season was a stark contrast to her previous years of near-invincibility. Having won four French Open titles and the 2022 US Open, she was accustomed to the spotlight of success. However, early exits at the Australian Open, a third-round loss at the Italian Open, and a semifinal defeat to Sabalenka at Roland Garros—where she had been a three-time defending champion—marked a rare dip in form. “When I came back in February after the Australian Open, I actually had a moment when I felt a lot of bitterness about how I lost that ranking,” Swiatek admitted, reflecting on the emotional weight of her fall from the top spot. Her 75 consecutive weeks as No. 1, a record that placed her among legends like Steffi Graf and Martina Hingis, had ended, and the adjustment was tougher than she anticipated. “I think that many people got used to being higher in the ranking, and I did too for a while,” she added.
The challenges of 2025 were compounded by off-court struggles. A one-month doping ban in late 2024, due to an unintentional ingestion of the banned substance trimetazidine via contaminated melatonin, forced Swiatek to miss three key events, including the China Open. “The most difficult thing was just not knowing what’s going to happen with me for some time, not having my own fate in my hands,” she shared, describing the ordeal that left her “crying daily” for three weeks. The ban, coupled with online criticism of her on-court behavior—most notably an incident at Indian Wells where she nearly hit a ball boy in frustration—tested her mental fortitude. “Sport is not played by robots,” Swiatek wrote on Instagram, addressing the backlash. “That’s not a healthy standard—especially considering that just six months ago, I felt my career was hanging by a thread.”
Despite these setbacks, Swiatek has embraced a new perspective, guided by her new coach, Wim Fissette, who joined her team in 2024 after working with stars like Naomi Osaka and Angelique Kerber. Fissette introduced tactical adjustments, including refinements to her forehand grip and serve, which Swiatek credits for boosting her confidence. “We changed the position a bit on fast balls to the forehand. That helped me a lot,” she said, noting improvements in her backhand and serve placement. These changes were evident in her deeper run at the Australian Open, where she reached the semifinals, her best hard-court Grand Slam result since her 2022 US Open title. “I felt the control over the ball and a lot of confidence because I knew that I had kind of nothing to lose,” she said of her Melbourne performance.
Swiatek’s focus has shifted from chasing rankings to honing her craft, a mindset she believes will pave the way back to the top. “Anyone with common sense knows that not everything is constant in sports,” she said, acknowledging the fierce competition from players like Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, and Jelena Ostapenko, who holds a 6-0 head-to-head record against her. “Other girls are developing too, there is constant competition. I won’t always be first.” Instead of dwelling on her ranking, Swiatek is prioritizing consistency, a trait that defined her 2022 season with a 37-match win streak and eight titles. Her decision to forgo a break, despite earlier hints of needing one, reflects her commitment to staying in rhythm. “I don’t feel the need to take a break,” she clarified. “I prefer to be in rhythm and build my process.”
Off the court, Swiatek’s passions—reading, Lego, and coffee—keep her grounded. Her charitable efforts, including raising over half a million euros for Ukrainian children through her “Iga & Friends” event in 2022, highlight her broader impact. As she prepares for Wimbledon, where she has historically struggled, reaching the quarterfinals only once, Swiatek remains optimistic. “I know what tools I have and what I can show on the court,” she said, emphasizing her aggressive, topspin-heavy style that has earned her the nickname “Iga’s Bakery” for her frequent 6-0 and 6-1 set wins. With her focus on growth over glory, Swiatek’s journey is a testament to resilience, proving that even in the face of bitterness, her love for the game endures.
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