Iga Świątek has described the current season as the most challenging of her professional career, acknowledging that she has struggled to replicate the dominant form that brought her multiple Grand Slam titles in recent years, according to Polsat Sport.
Speaking at the WTA 1000 tournament in Wuhan, the 25-year-old Polish tennis star reflected on a year marked by coaching upheaval and fewer victories than fans have come to expect from the world number one.
“Every year has been different, so there’s no recipe or magic solution. I’m glad that despite the various challenges each season has brought, I’ve managed to maintain consistency. This one has definitely been the toughest,” Świątek said.
Coaching change and Grand Slam drought
The season has seen significant changes to Świątek’s team. She parted ways with Belgian coach Wim Fissette and brought in Spaniard Francisco Roig in a bid to rediscover her best form. The transition has coincided with a notable shift in her results.
For the first time since 2022, Świątek will finish a campaign without a Grand Slam title. The six-time major champion has managed just one tournament victory this year – at the WTA 1000 event in Toronto.
“When I was going through a rough patch, I would suddenly win a tournament and feel great. This year it’s been a bit more complicated,” Świątek explained. “I think I’ll learn greater resilience and also appreciate smaller successes. I don’t want to only celebrate results, but also the process and everything that comes with it.”
Fighting through adversity in Wuhan
Despite her struggles, Świątek continues to compete at the highest level. At the ongoing tournament in Wuhan, she defeated fellow Polish player Magdalena Fręch in the second round and is now preparing to face American Ashlyn Krueger for a place in the quarter-finals.
The Polish star emphasised that every victory this season carries particular weight given the difficulties she has faced. While her trophy cabinet remains relatively bare compared to previous years, she is determined to find value in the journey rather than fixating solely on titles.
Her candid admission about the season’s challenges offers a rare glimpse into the mental side of elite sport, where even the world’s best players must navigate periods of relative underperformance and rebuild their confidence.
What this means for Poles in the UK
Iga Świątek remains Poland’s most successful active athlete and a source of national pride for Polish communities worldwide. Her matches are frequently shown in Polish clubs and community centres across the UK, bringing together Polonia to support their compatriot.
The WTA 1000 tournament in Wuhan is being broadcast on streaming platforms and specialist sports channels available in Britain. Świątek’s progress can be followed on the official WTA website and tennis-dedicated channels such as Tennis Channel and Amazon Prime Video, which holds broadcasting rights for certain WTA events.
For Poles in the UK who follow tennis, Świątek’s honest reflections on struggling through a difficult season may resonate beyond sport – particularly for those who have faced their own challenges adapting to life abroad or navigating career changes. Her emphasis on valuing the process rather than just results offers a reminder that setbacks can be opportunities for growth, even at the highest level of competition.
