Iga Swiatek: private, career, success - we know that about the Australian tennis ace
Created: 05/02/2022Updated: 05/02/2022 16:13
Iga Swiatek © IMAGO/photo.
Tomasz Jastrzebowski
The new women's number 1 starts as one of the hottest favorites in this year's French Open.
Worth knowing about Iga Świątek's sporting and private background.
Munich – On April 4, 2022, the time had come: The only 20-year-old Iga Świątek took over the top of the WTA world rankings, making her the first Pole ever to be the new number one in tennis women.
Born in Warsaw on May 31, 2001, the young star followed Australian Ashleigh Barty, who had surprisingly announced her retirement from professional tennis.
The former French Open winner (2020) Świątek had won the tournament in Miami a week earlier, but had already been determined as Barty's successor.
"I'm really satisfied, fulfilled and also proud of myself," said the Pole after her triumph in Miami.
"I have to celebrate now because I don't know how long I can keep this streak going."
Iga Świątek – her family
Sport has always played an important role in her family: Papa Tomasz was a world-class rower and as such was also a member of the Polish quadruple sculls at the 1988 Olympic Games.
Iga's older sister Agata took up swimming but switched to tennis at an early age.
And Iga picked up the racquet at an early age – at the age of six.
Agata had to retire early due to injury.
Iga Świątek stayed fit, made it into the top 100 for the first time in spring 2019 and started as a WTA 54.
into the victorious French Open 2020. At the end of 2021, Świątek was in the top 10 for the first time and is now the 28th number 1 player since the world rankings were introduced in 1975. She also won gold at the Youth Olympic Games as a 17-year-old and took part herself in 2021 participated in the Tokyo Olympics.
Iga Świątek – her career
Already as a junior, she was able to celebrate her first big triumphs before her big breakthrough in women's tennis followed:
Already as a junior, she was able to celebrate her first big triumphs before her big breakthrough in women's tennis followed.
Świątek made her debut on the ITF Women's World Tennis Tour in 2016 and won her first professional title in Stockholm that same year.
In 2018, she first won the doubles competition of the junior women's competition at the French Open alongside Catherine McNally and just under a month later the junior women's title in Wimbledon.
Also in 2018, together with Kaja Juvan, she triumphed in the girls' doubles at the Summer Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires
In 2019 she reached her highest position in the junior world rankings with fifth place
In 2019, in Lugano, she reached her second main draw in her first final on the WTA Tour, in which she lost to Polona Hercog in three sets
In 2020, Świątek reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam tournament at the Australian Open for the second time, losing to Anett Kontaveit in three sets.
At the French Open, which was postponed to October 2020 due to the corona pandemic, she entered her first Grand Slam final without losing a set, which she won against Sofia Kenin 6: 4 and 6: 1.
In early 2022, Świątek reached the semifinals at the Australian Open.
After that, within a few weeks, she won the three WTA 1000 tournaments in Doha, Indian Wells and Miami - each in the final without losing a set.
Iga Świątek - not everyone knows that about the new number 1
Świątek's great childhood idol is Rafael Nadal.
The two get along well and when the schedule fits, they also train together.
She is also the youngest Grand Slam winner since Nadal himself clinched his first Paris title in 2005.
Świątek is not only talented with a tennis racket, but also a technically very talented soccer player.
Above all, Świątek is a very good juggler and uses juggling as a good concentration exercise.
The tournament breaks due to the corona pandemic were a big challenge for Iga Świątek: "I get bored when I'm at home.
After a few months I miss the tournaments and the tour.
Travel and the tournaments are irreplaceable.
I really like this lifestyle.”
On December 1, 2021, Świątek ended the collaboration with Piotr Sierzputowski, who had coached her for over five years.
She then introduced Tomasz Wiktorowski as the new coach.
To distract himself from everyday sporting stress, Iga Świątek likes to immerse himself in books or TV series.
She is particularly fond of historical novels and “Mad Men”.
The success also increases awareness and thus also income apart from prize money: Iga Świątek has signed contracts with Asics, Toyota, Lexus, Red Bull, Rolex and Tecnifibre.