Tennis
There’s A LOT more to Iga Świątek than her tennis skills
She won her maiden Grand Slam without dropping a set. Find out more about the Polish teen who's just claimed her first Major and broken into the world’s top 20.
Records tumbled following Iga Świątek's incredible straight sets victory in Paris. Not only was she the lowest-ranked woman to reach the final since rankings began, she also became the first Polish tennis player to ever win a Grand Slam singles title.
Read on to find out more about the woman behind the headlines:
Iga reflecting on her success
© Markus Berger/Red Bull Content Pool
1. She brings a psychologist to tournaments
A permanent member of Iga Świątek’s coaching team is sports psychologist Daria Abramowicz, who goes to Świątek’s tournaments alongside coach Piotr Sierzputowski. The presence of a psychologist is not coincidental – when she was young, Świątek often struggled with her emotions on court, sometimes exploding after a bad point and thus losing control over the match. “Daria helps me a great deal," Świątek explains. "Prior to the match against Simona Halep in Paris, she made sure I had a positive attitude towards the match. Thanks to that, I was able to take the initiative," she continued, after upsetting the top-seeded Halep in Paris. It was Daria who also once gave her a ukulele – the musical instrument is supposed to help ensure better control over her emotions.
2. She’s a crazy cat lady
Świątek is a huge cat lover and while for now there’s only been one at her house – her little black cat, Grappa, but, "one day, I’ll want to have more,” she says. Where did the name Grappa come from? “Well, it’s easy to figure out,” Świątek reveals with a smile. We suspect there may have been some home tasting after an Italian holiday 😀😻
3. She started off like Aga Radwańska
Their seventh appearance at a major and their first quarter final – [former world number two] Agnieszka Radwańska and Iga Światek’s Grand Slam careers started off exactly the same. Radwańska made her Slam debut in 2006 at Wimbledon and advanced to her first quarter final at the Australian Open in 2008 at her seventh attempt. Światek made her debut in Australia in 2019 and made it to her first quarter final in Paris in 2020 – also on her seventh Grand Slam appearance. Both of them were still teenagers, even though Radwańska was a little younger – she was 18 years and 324 days old, while Światek was 19 years and 126 days.
Iga Świątek
© Kin Marcin/Red Bull Content Pool
4. She listens to rock music
Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Pink Floyd, Santana, Coldplay, AC/DC – it’s not an oldschool radio 'hit list', but Świątek’s own playlist! How come she's so fascinated with rock music from the past? “When I was going to tournaments, that’s the music my coaches listened to," she explains. "And it just stayed with me, I grew fond of it. I guess my fascination with older music is a result of the fact that music had more value to it in the past, it had a greater spirit, triggered emotions and was less synthetic," she adds.
5. She comes from a sporting family
Świątek's dad, Tomasz, was an excellent oarsman, who represented Poland in Seoul in the men’s quadruple sculls (seventh place) and at the World Championships (fifth place, among other achievements). Her older sister, Aga, also played tennis for a while, but in the end she chose a career outside of the world of sport. “I learnt from my mistakes when it comes to my daughters' tennis careers," Tomasz says. "Whatever didn't work with the older one, hopefully is going to work out with the younger one," he jokes.
Iga is coached by Piotr Sierzputowski, but her dad was instrumental, too
© Kin Marcin/Red Bull Content Pool
6. She played for Legia Warsaw
If you’ve ever seen Iga Świątek at a Legia Warsaw football match, it wouldn't be a coincidence. Świątek spent a few years representing the club at tennis, training on its courts and posing for photos with the characteristic 'L'.
7. She’s a Wimbledon winner
Świątek was a very successful junior. Her greatest achievement was a Wimbledon junior singles title in 2018 when she defeated Switzerland’s Leoni Küng 6-4, 6-2 in the final and became the fourth Pole to land a junior title at the All England Club, after Aleksandra Olsza and Aga and Urszula Radwańska. She also won a junior Grand Slam doubles title on the clay courts of Roland Garros in 2018, together with American Caty McNally, after making the 2017 Australian Open doubles final with Maja Chwalińska.
8. She loves Mad Men
When asked about her favourite series, Świątek says Mad Men without a single second of hesitation. “The series has a cool retro atmosphere, as it takes place in the ‘60s, but at the same time it depicts the beginnings of advertising in the US in an engaging way," she explains. "It’s important to me that I can learn something interesting from a series and this one shows many mechanisms and ideas, which are obvious for us, but were something brand new at that time."
At the age of 19 she's already one of the world's top-35 ranked players 🎾
© Kin Marcin/Red Bull Content Pool
9. She’s a fan of Rafael Nadal
Świątek has been on Rafa’s team for a long time and keeps rooting for the King of Clay. Why? “Because I admire him as an athlete and his fighting spirit, he’s a model sportsman," she reveals. "Rafa always fights till the very end, he’s a tennis warrior. Moreover, I admire his playing style with high top-spins, I also like to play that way. His left-handed forehand is an amazing shot that's earned him many tournament wins. I like and respect Roger Federer, too. It’s hard not to consider him a legend of our sport, he’s in a tennis class of his own, but when it comes to style and personality, I’m more into Rafa, because I love his energy. Sorry!”
10. She likes historical books
Świątek really enjoyed Cathedral of the Sea by Ildefonso Falcones. She also reads historical novels by Ken Follett, but… “These are usually pretty thick volumes, so sometimes I feel like I need something lighter," she says. "Then I choose, for example, Dan Brown or a crime novel."