"I saw it a bit later and was like oh my god": Taylor Swift superfan Iga Swiatek reacts to 12:12am new album announcement

Iga Swiatek is through to the quarterfinals of the Cincinnati Open for the third year running after defeating Sorana Cîrstea 6-4, 6-3 on a hot afternoon in Ohio. The World No. 1’s mix of heavy topspin and composure under pressure proved decisive — but it wasn’t the only thing on her mind after the match.

Two nights earlier, at exactly 12:12 a.m., Taylor Swift had announced a brand-new album. Swiatek, one of the WTA Tour’s most famous Swifties, admitted she didn’t catch the news in real time. “I wasn’t awake… wait, it was 12:12 a.m.? I was awake, but I was not on the internet,” she laughed. “So I think I saw it a bit later and was like, ‘Oh my god.’”

The Pole is eager for more details before the album’s release which was dropped on Swift's boyfriend Travis Kelce's podcast with brother Jason Kelce. Both NFL superstars in their own right. “I’m just super happy. But first, I’m waiting for the podcast and then we’ll see what she tells us, because right now we don’t even have the album cover. I guess there’s a lot to think about and be excited about. I heard some rumours it might come out before October, but I’m not sure. Swifties have a lot of theories, so I don’t know what to listen to and what not. But I’m super excited, and I hope it’s going to be a good one.”

Asked if she might take inspiration from Swift’s colour palettes for her outfits, she smiled: “Well, I would have to ask On for that. I think they’re quite set for the US Open — no orange there — but I’ll ask them for the next ones.”

When it came to her own performance in Cincinnati, Swiatek said her focus was on tightening up after what she felt was a looser previous match. “I wanted to be more solid than in my last match because I felt like sometimes I made mistakes I didn’t want. So I think I did the job well in terms of that today,” she explained. “And yeah, you know, just play with my topspin because the ball is bouncing high here, especially when it’s so hot. And yeah, kind of stay calm, you know, and accept some mistakes because they are going to happen here.”

Serving was one area she believes can still be improved. “Honestly, I felt like my technique and my intentions were good, but the percentage of the first serve wasn’t so high. I know I made small mistakes, so I’m not really sure now. I think I need to watch some videos and analyse to know what to change. But yeah, I’m happy with the way I wanted to serve, and I was really focused. The second serve was great though, so I can always rely on that. For sure, I want to keep improving before the next match.”

Swiatek says she won’t hesitate to get back on court to make adjustments — but will take a sensible approach. “Yeah, for sure. But we have time to do that tomorrow, so there’s no point pushing it today. I’ll just recover nicely, and tomorrow we have plenty of time to work on that.”

Away from match play, Swiatek has also enjoyed engaging with fans in Cincinnati. A pre-tournament Tennis Channel segment saw her join Aryna Sabalenka, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz in surprising unsuspecting spectators. “It was pretty funny. This lady was so intense and so enthusiastic — I loved it. I honestly have to say I haven’t seen the final video, but when we shot it, she said some stuff that was for sure cut. It was funny. She was so honest, and you could see she’s been watching tennis for a long time and is experienced. It was super fun, and I love doing stuff like that. I think it was one of the best things the WTA, ATP, or the tournament has come up with for us to do. It was fun, and I’d for sure do it again.”

The fan’s passion clearly left an impression. “I hope so,” Swiatek said when told the woman would never forget the encounter. Swiatek will now turn her attention to the last eight, looking to fine-tune her serve and maintain her calm, measured play. And if she has her way, she might even find time to keep up with the latest Taylor Swift album theories.