Iga Swiatek is heading back to Paris, eager to pursue her first Olympic gold medal and add to her impressive collection of four French Open titles. The Polish world number one has been a dominant force on the clay courts of Roland Garros, winning four of the past five tournaments and remaining unbeaten there since a quarter-final loss to Greece’s Maria Sakkari in 2021.
Swiatek, 23, who also claimed the US Open title in 2022, aims to surpass her performance at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where she was eliminated by Paula Badosa in the second round. The early exit from Wimbledon, where she was defeated by Yulia Putintseva in the third round, has given Swiatek ample time to prepare for the Paris Olympics. This Wimbledon defeat ended her 21-match winning streak, prompting her to consider a strategic approach for the upcoming Games.
“I’m definitely going to take a lesson and rest a bit more,” Swiatek said after Wimbledon. “Even though I didn’t perform well at this tournament, considering how the season has gone, I feel I deserve it. I need to do better because I can’t sustain good tennis throughout the whole season otherwise.”
Swiatek’s breakthrough came in 2020 when she won the French Open without losing a set, becoming the first Polish player to win a Grand Slam singles title. Her dominance on the clay courts continued last month when she defeated Italy’s Jasmine Paolini in a one-sided final, making her the fourth woman in the modern era to win the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen four times, joining the ranks of Justine Henin, Chris Evert, and Steffi Graf. Swiatek also achieved a rare Madrid-Rome-Roland Garros clay treble, an accomplishment only matched by Serena Williams.
Swiatek’s sporting pedigree extends beyond tennis. Her father, Tomasz, represented Poland in rowing at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Her early coach, Artur Szostaczko, recalls her exceptional determination and resilience. “Normally a small child has trouble hitting even one or two balls, but she could keep it going for dozens of shots. She was a fighter… I knew that if it went to a super tie-break, there was no need to worry — Iga wouldn’t crack under the pressure.”
Swiatek’s commitment to her sport was evident from a young age. Her subsequent coach, Michal Kaznowski, remembers her determination to be treated equally with her older sister Agata. “Iga got really mad at me because I proposed a basic drill where I would feed Agata eight balls but only six to Iga because she was younger,” Kaznowski said. “That made her angry. She went to her dad and said she wanted just as many as Agata.”
With her unwavering determination and a deep connection to Paris, Swiatek will look to channel her drive and success on her favorite courts as she aims for Olympic glory.
