In the midst of a season that tested her in ways she never saw coming, Iga Swiatek arrived at Wimbledon feeling something unfamiliar - uncertainty. The world knew her as the ‘Queen of Clay,’ the architect of dominance at Roland Garros with four titles in six years, but on grass, she often felt like a visitor trying to speak a language she hadn’t yet mastered. The surface didn’t respond to her topspin-heavy strokes the way clay did. The movement felt foreign. The confidence wasn’t automatic. And yet, fate, as it often does in sport, had a twist in store.

It took Steffi Graf just 32 minutes to win her 1988 Roland Garros final. Guess what? Swiatek needed just 57 minutes to secure a thumping 6-0, 6-0 victory over America’s Amanda Anisimova at the 2025 Wimbledon final. With that, Swiatek became the first Polish woman to win Wimbledon in the Open Era. After the match, she said, “Honestly, I didn’t even dream. For me, it was way too far.” After Wimbledon, Swiatek won two more titles (Cincinnati and Seoul).

In a recent interview with The Guardian, Iga Swiatek once again revisited that special moment at SW19. How special was that victory on July 12? “Any season that has a Wimbledon win, I would take without hesitation. I’m super proud of this achievement. This is something I wasn’t expecting to happen this year. I thought I [would] need a couple more years to learn how to play on grass and to use my skills for the surface. But I felt great,” she said.

It wasn’t just about timing - it was about transformation. Swiatek reveals that her team had worked tirelessly in the weeks leading up to the tournament to reshape both her tactics and mindset. She adjusted her court positioning, sharpened her first-strike patterns, and learned to embrace the quicker exchanges that grass demands. “We worked hard before Wimbledon to change some tactical patterns I also had in my head and wasn’t really using in previous years. I felt, day by day, I had my game, and I really used the opportunity. Having that win changed everything,” Swiatek added.

Her unexpected Wimbledon triumph did more than add a new trophy to her cabinet - it reshaped how she sees herself. No longer confined by surface-specific expectations, Swiatek now stands as a champion whose game transcends boundaries. The victory unlocked a belief that she could adapt, evolve, and rewrite her own story.

Reacting to her incredible victory during a conversation on BBC Sport, American tennis legend John McEnroe said, “I think almost everyone is in a state of shock at what transpired. I have to hand it to Swiatek. I don’t think there are many people who saw this coming, that she would be this good on this surface, after the struggles she has had. So all credit to her.”

Iga Swiatek finished the season ranked second in the world. She had a win-loss record of 62-17 in 2025. Can she come up with some better numbers and set a few more incredible records in 2025? 

Iga Swiatek’s coach reveals her major targets for 2026

Everyone saw the trophies, the rankings, and the highlight reels. But only Wim Fissette saw what happened behind closed doors: the doubts, the breakthroughs, and the unexpected turning points. As the long 2025 season came to an end, the Belgian tactician sat down with Sport.Pl’s Dominic Senkowski to share his thoughts about Iga Swiatek’s performance and what’s lining up next for her in 2026.

In his candid assessment of her performance in 2025, he said, “Her level of play was good. However, she couldn’t maintain the highest level all the time. There were moments when the level dropped and then rose. Breaks were very rare during matches, but it was difficult to break opponents, especially if they were serving at 190-195 km/h. It’s very difficult then, because you feel a lot of pressure on your serve, and you know it won’t be easy to make up for a break. I think this showed us again what we need to work on in preseason for next season.”

Fissette said that he saw a lot of good things in Iga Swiatek’s game, which improved over the course of the year, but having said that, he also stressed monitoring her improvement further.

Has Swiatek and her team set any goals for 2026? To this, the coach replied, “The priorities are not changing, you know. Iga wants to be the best in the world, and that’s our team goal as well. We want to win a Grand Slam, or hopefully more Grand Slams. We want to win 1000 events. We want to be as close to number one as possible.”

According to him, Swiatek needs to go step by step to become a better player, and she needs to add things to her game. “How are we going to do that? By trying to balance the schedule a little bit better to get a few more training weeks and a longer pre-season than last year, which is good,” said Iga Swiatek’s coach.

Talking about schedules, Swiatek has time and again raised her complaints about the hectic schedule in the tennis world. This year she played 19 tournaments. But next year she may come up with a new plan.

According to Iga Swiatek’s statement on this during her interview with The Guardian, “I would like to try missing maybe two tournaments – maybe the ones I feel I haven’t been playing well at anyway – just spending this time on grinding and getting the technique better. I think it will help me also play a little bit better under stress, because my body will remember the proper movements and what it learned during this practice time.”

She believes this can give her more confidence mentally, knowing that she worked hard, and then she can come back to tournaments a little bit better prepared. This year she finished the season at the second spot, but do you think Iga Swiatek can regain her crown with better performances in 2026?

Written by

Sayantan Roy

Sayantan Roy is a seasoned tennis journalist at EssentiallyTennis. He brings a deep tactical understanding to his coverage, breaking down head-to-head records, match dynamics, and on-court strategies with precision. For more than two years, Sayantan has been a key member of the Live Events desk, delivering real-time insights and data-backed predictions for the platform’s Matchday Preview section. His analytical approach has sparked editorial debates and drawn recognition from respected tennis voices, including commentator and analyst Olly_Tennis. Combining his experience in writing with a passion for insightful sports journalism, Sayantan’s work serves as a trusted reference point for tennis fans around the world.

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