Iga Swiatek, the Polish tennis sensation once dubbed the “Queen of Clay” for her four French Open titles, has rewritten her narrative on the grass courts of Wimbledon in 2025. The 24-year-old, who reached her first Wimbledon final on July 12, facing Amanda Anisimova, attributes her breakthrough to an unexpected ally: her semifinal loss to Aryna Sabalenka at Roland Garros earlier this year. That defeat, which ended her 26-match winning streak in Paris, lifted a weight of expectations and gave her crucial time to hone her grass-court game. Swiatek’s candid reflections reveal a player who turned adversity into opportunity, transforming her weakest surface into a stage for her greatest triumph yet.
Swiatek’s dominance on clay, with titles in 2020, 2022, 2023, and 2024, had long defined her career. However, the transition to Wimbledon’s fast, low-bouncing grass historically proved challenging, with her best result being a 2023 quarterfinal. “Honestly, I think it’s easier if you haven’t won Roland Garros, and also if you had more time to practice,” Swiatek admitted, highlighting how her French Open loss freed her from the pressure of being a defending champion. The grueling clay season, including title defenses in Madrid and Rome, often left her drained for Wimbledon. This year, her earlier exit in Paris allowed a week of focused grass training in Mallorca, followed by a confidence-building final at the Bad Homburg Open, where she fell to Jessica Pegula but found her rhythm. “If I win Roland Garros and then I come here, everybody already puts super high expectations,” she explained, noting how the absence of that burden let her play with newfound freedom.
Her 2025 Wimbledon campaign showcased this liberated approach. Seeded eighth after slipping from the world No. 1 ranking, Swiatek stormed through the draw, dropping just one set en route to the final. Her straight-sets victories included a 6-2, 6-3 rout of Danielle Collins in the fourth round and a commanding 6-2, 6-0 semifinal win over Belinda Bencic. Against Liudmila Samsonova in the quarterfinals, she navigated a tense second set to win 6-2, 7-5, proving her growing comfort on grass. “I saw how I can play on practice courts. I was just not sure if I can do it on the match court,” she said, crediting her new coach, Wim Fissette, for refining her movement and patience. Fissette, who replaced Tomasz Wiktorowski late last year, helped Swiatek adapt her heavy topspin forehand to grass, emphasizing faster hands and better positioning to handle the surface’s skiddy bounce.
Swiatek’s journey wasn’t without off-court challenges. A one-month doping ban in late 2024 for a contaminated heart medication sample disrupted her season, and a tearful Olympic semifinal loss in Paris left her emotionally spent. “Losing early in Rome gave me some time and perspective,” she reflected, acknowledging how setbacks forced her to rethink her approach. Her Bad Homburg final, her first in over a year, signaled a turning point. “I feel like I have developed as a player and I had time to practise a little bit more,” she said, emphasizing improved footwork and smarter shot selection. Her 78% first-serve point win rate at Wimbledon, second only to Sabalenka, underscored her technical progress.
The mental shift was equally significant. “You can still raise your intensity and be patient and make smart decisions,” Swiatek noted after her win over Caty McNally, where she balanced aggression with control. This mindset carried her to the final, where she faces Anisimova, a big-hitting American who stunned Sabalenka in the semifinals. “I’m not going to say I wouldn’t believe [I could reach the Wimbledon final] because I kind of believe and I know in tennis a lot can happen,” Swiatek said, radiating quiet confidence. Her 5-0 record in major finals, including the 2022 US Open, makes her a formidable favorite, despite Anisimova’s fearless form.
Swiatek’s Wimbledon run, fueled by the unexpected gift of time after her French Open loss, has silenced doubters who questioned her grass-court credentials. “I’m just happy that I have this place to come back to every year and just try to push myself,” she said, embracing Wimbledon as a new frontier. As she stands one match from becoming the eighth woman to win majors on clay, hard courts, and grass, Swiatek’s 2025 journey proves that sometimes, losing can be the spark that ignites a champion’s greatest victory.
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