The margins at the Australian Open can be painfully thin. Just ask Iga Swiatek. One point - that was all that separated her from a place in the final in Melbourne earlier this year. Now, as the tennis world slowly turns its gaze back toward Rod Laver Arena, the Pole finds herself once again standing at the edge of something historic, aware of how close she truly is.

At 24, Swiatek has already built a resume most players only dream of. Roland Garros has been her fortress, the US Open has bowed to her brilliance, and Wimbledon is no longer unexplored territory. Only one remains unchecked for the 6x Grand Slam champion. The Australian Open. And with it, the chance to complete a career Grand Slam. Yet, if you were expecting Swiatek to arrive in Melbourne consumed by that thought, think again.

In a recent interview with CLAY, also published by RG Media, Iga Swiatek was asked to share her thoughts on completing the career Grand Slam. Replying to that, the Pole said, “I don’t set goals like that. Obviously, it’s something that I dream of and something that I want to happen one day, but I’m not going to come to Melbourne and think about it every day.”

Instead, Swiatek is choosing patience - and perspective. She knows the Australian Open is not won in a single swing or a single statement performance. It’s a two-week marathon, one that demands precision, resilience, and restraint. “I know that there’s seven matches to win, and the Grand Slams are two weeks; a lot can happen. So I’m really going to just take it step by step. Just focusing on the preseason well is the key, and then I’ll see. But for sure, it would be a dream come true.”

Those words ring true when viewed through the lens of her recent Melbourne heartbreaks. Iga Swiatek’s best runs at the AO have ended in the semifinals - first in 2022 and again in 2025 - both times leaving her on the brink, both times reminding her how unforgiving the final stages can be. Still, the dream lingers. Quiet, powerful, and impossible to ignore.

Even in 2023, Swiatek spoke about her long-awaited wish of winning the AO title. “I haven't won the Australian Open yet, so I just want to try to achieve my goals.” This year, she was defeated by the eventual champion Madison Keys in a three-set thriller in the semis. Can he make a longer run in 2026?

Time will tell! As the new season approaches, Iga Swiatek isn’t chasing headlines or milestones. She’s chasing matches. One at a time. And somewhere along that careful, deliberate path lies the one title that could complete her story - and transform a long-held dream into reality.

But before the AO, she will be seen in action at the 2026 United Cup alongside Hubert Hurkacz, Jan Zielinski, and several others. Despite not having a start she would’ve wanted in 2025, Swiatek finished the year quite strongly with three titles in her bag. How does she look at her performance in the past twelve months?

Iga Swiatek showcases her pride in her performance in 2025

For Iga Swiatek, 2025 was never just about numbers on a ranking chart. It was about adaptation, resilience, and learning how to survive in a women’s tennis era that refuses to stand still. As the season wound down, Swiatek looked back not with frustration, but with clarity. Finishing the year as the world number 2, she felt, was a quiet achievement in a field that has grown sharper, deeper, and far less predictable.

Swiatek played 79 matches this season and won 62 out of those. Other than her heroics at Wimbledon, she won titles in Cincinnati and Seoul. She described the 2025 season as the “longest season” that she had ever played. “The season was challenging, but I’m super proud of it… I am also happy that it’s done, because I played a lot of matches this year. And the schedule was packed.”

She further added, “I think finishing as No. 2 is an outstanding achievement. I think the level we’re all at got more equal. I think you could see that, especially during the WTA Finals, basically, any of us could win this tournament, we really played a lot of tight matches.”

Her words captured the essence of modern women’s tennis: margins are thinner, dominance is fleeting, and every match feels like a test of nerve. Talking about testing nerves, this year, while entering the clay swing, Iga Swiatek was titleless since the 2024 French Open. She had never won a title before on grass, and hence, there weren’t many expectations surrounding her chances at Wimbledon. But Swiatek stunned everyone with her maiden title triumph at SW19, and with that, she also ended her 13-month title drought.

Highlighting her performance at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships, Andy Roddick said, “Iga, turning her season around at Wimbledon, that was a crazy story. It’s Iga, so we expect great things, and we’ve been preconditioned to her being one of the best with Aryna [Sabalenka] and Ash [Barty] of her generation. But not coming through on clay, looking bad at times on your favorite surface, and then somehow finding a way to be dominant on your worst surface. That’s the stuff that legends are made of. That’s crazy. We’ll see where it goes from here.”

As the WTA continues to tighten and rivals push the limits week after week, Swiatek’s season served as a reminder that greatness isn’t always linear. Sometimes, it’s forged in unlikely places - on unfamiliar surfaces, amid doubt, and under pressure. What are your thoughts on her 2025 season?

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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