Last month, Iga Swiatek made a bold statement to the world, definitively showcasing her return to peak form—ready to reclaim her dominance over opponents and reestablish her influence in women’s tennis.
“After a little celebration,” Swiatek expressed, just hours after her remarkable 6-0, 6-0 victory in the Wimbledon final, “I’ll need to hit the hard courts and put in the hard work.”
As she gears up for the US Open, commencing in New York on Sunday, it’s time to revisit how the tennis world once viewed Swiatek: a player armed with enough talent and determination to triumph on any surface, against any opponent.
The 24-year-old from Poland, boasting six major titles—needing only an Australian Open championship to achieve a career Grand Slam—has reclaimed her elite status, rising back to No. 2 in the rankings, trailing only Aryna Sabalenka and ahead of Coco Gauff.
This positioning means that Swiatek, who relinquished her top ranking to Sabalenka last October and fell as low as No. 8, wouldn’t meet last year’s champion at Flushing Meadows until the final match.
“No matter where Swiatek stands in the rankings, she’s playing like a top contender once more,” noted three-time major champion Lindsay Davenport during Tennis Channel’s broadcast of the Cincinnati Open final on Monday.
In that match, Swiatek triumphed over Jasmine Paolini 7-5, 6-4, showcasing her prowess with nine aces, completing a perfect run through the hard-court tournament without conceding a set. This victory marked her 11th career title at a WTA Masters 1000, placing her just behind Serena Williams, who has 13 titles, since 2009.
This latest achievement added to Swiatek’s trophy collection, marking her second win in three events—the first having been on the grass courts of the All England Club on July 12—after a lengthy period of over a year without reaching any finals.
It’s important to remember that it wasn’t too long ago that Swiatek faced challenging times, both on and off the court.
Amidst her underwhelming results, she also tackled a doping issue tied to a contaminated sleeping aid, resulting in an agreed-upon one-month suspension.
“It was a tough period,” Swiatek reflected.
Yet she persevered and is now playing with a newfound sense of freedom and the mental resilience that she proudly exhibited—signaling her determination with a finger on her temple as she approached the net for a handshake after clinching victory against Paolini with an impressive ace.
This match displayed Swiatek’s remarkable traits.
A powerful serve. A commanding forehand. Exceptional court coverage built on anticipation and swift footwork.
“You’re playing phenomenal,” Paolini complimented Swiatek during the trophy ceremony.
Notably, Swiatek is excelling on faster surfaces these days, having been mistakenly labeled solely as a clay-court specialist due to her four titles at Roland-Garros. Let’s not overlook that she previously claimed the US Open title in 2022 and had triumphantly captured a junior title at Wimbledon as a teenager, signaling that her recent successes reaffirm her prowess rather than simply revealing it.
With the guidance of coach Wim Fissette, who joined her team late last year, Swiatek is evolving—not reinventing herself, but rather enhancing the incredible player she already is.
