Iga Świątek broke the silence. The Polish tennis player talks directly about what hurts her
It was not an easy match, but Iga Świątek started the 2024 WTA Finals with victory. The Pole defeated Barbara Krejcikova in three sets and gave an honest interview.
The last few weeks have not been easy for Iga Świątek. The Pole broke up with her coach, Tomasz Wiktorowski, and also missed several significant tournaments in the WTA calendar. As a result, the tennis player lost her lead in the world rankings and was overtaken by the previous number two, Aryna Sabalenka.
WTA Finals: Iga Świątek talks honestly about recent weeks
The first opportunity to play after a long break, lasting until the Grand Slam US Open, was the WTA Finals tournament. In Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the Pole started by winning over Barbora Krejcikova in three sets. Świątek was already losing 4:6, 0:3 (with two unfavorable breaks), but she managed to turn the tide of the duel and achieve success.
After the victory over the Czech, the Polish tennis player gave several interviews, also in Polish. The one in front of the Canal+ Sport cameras had a strong tone because it referred to the considerable confusion surrounding the Polish woman in recent weeks.
– I had a lot of thoughts in my head related to what was happening in Poland recently. And I knew that was just not what I was supposed to have on the court. The most important thing for me is that even though I had a long break, I managed to concentrate on the right things during the match. Not to think about the things that have hurt me lately. Just keep fighting and remember that I play for myself, admitted Świątek in an interview for Canal+ Sport after winning the inaugural WTA Finals.
It is no secret that many experts pointed to major problems in the famous tennis player’s staff, which resulted in her separation from Wiktorowski. It was pointed out, among others: to the too big role that Świątek, Daria Abramowicz, responsible for the mental sphere, is to play. Let us add that the Belgian Wim Fissette is the new coach of Świątek.
When will the Pole play her next match in Riyadh? It’s next Tuesday (November 5). Świątek’s opponent will be Coco Gauff. In the first match, the American defeated her compatriot Jessica Pegula in two sets without any major problems.
Iga Świątek and all her championship titles
In her career so far, the Pole has won a total of 22 championship titles on courts almost all over the world.
Świątek won five Grand Slams, four times at Roland Garros (2020, 2022, 2023 and 2024) and once at the US Open (2022). To this should be added the prestigious triumph in the WTA Finals (2023).
In addition, wins in WTA 1000 tournaments in: Rome (2021, 2022, 2024), Doha (2022 and 2024), Indian Wells (2022 and 2024), Miami (2022), Beijing (2023) and Madrid (2024) ). The list also includes WTA 500 competitions: Adelaide (2021), Stuttgart (2022 and 2023), San Diego (2022) and the aforementioned Doha (2023). Plus a Polish accent, WTA 250 in Warsaw (2023).
After the Olympic tournament in Paris (2024), a bronze medal of the Games should be added to this list. The first disc in the history of Polish Olympics taken from competition on tennis courts.
