"It wasn’t an easy start. I think I still need to work on some things" - Room for improvement for Swiatek as she dismisses career Grand Slam objective

Iga Swiatek has given an update on where her game is out after question marks arose after some certain performances in the build up to the Australian Open.

She is looking to win a seventh Grand Slam, and a first in Melbourne. In her press conference, the Pole stated that she is feeling good and raring to go. "I had a really solid couple of days of training here," she said. "The tournament in Sydney for sure gave me a lot of energy. I’m happy to be back, and yeah — I had fun."

Her first-round is opponent is qualifier Yue Yuan, set to be played on January 19, a day after the start to the Australian Open. Aside from that, she was not prepared to look any further. It would be a nasty surprise to find out that there is a possible matchup with the likes of Naomi Osaka and Elena Rybakina on the horizon.

"I’m not looking at the draw — so thanks for the heads-up," she smiled. "That’s not a joke, I’m literally not doing that. Please don’t spoil it for me. I want to be surprised after every match. So no, I haven’t made any adjustments — because I didn’t know."

Some of the best tennis players in the world stepped onto the court to compete in the One Point Slam, with there a lot of enjoyment and fun occurring on court. Swiatek was one of the top players who lasted the longest but eventually fell to Pedro Martinez. "Honestly, it was great. It was so much fun — everybody was watching, even people off the court," she stated.

She got some big victories, getting the better of Frances Tiafoe and Flavio Cobolli. "Everyone said they were really emotional about it. It was something new and refreshing, and I think tennis sometimes needs events like that. Playing against Flavio was super fun. I like playing against guys. I’ve done mixed doubles before, but here I felt like I really needed to push him. When he had chances to open the court, I was kind of nowhere. I think half of the players took it seriously, half didn’t. I was warming up, I was ready, and I really wanted to play a backhand cross-court rally with Frances — but I didn’t get the chance. If I get invited again, I hope — well, I think I will."

At the age of 24-years-old, Swiatek has the chance to complete the career Grand Slam in Melbourne. It is an event that by her very high standards has been a bit of an anomaly. That could have been said with Wimbledon before she won it last year.

However, this is not on the Pole's mind. "I think you guys are thinking about it more than I am. Honestly, since the beginning of the year, many people have been talking to me about it, but I’m really just focusing on day-by-day work. That’s how it’s always been for me, and that’s how I’ve been able to achieve the success I already have."

She echoed how tricky it is to lift a major title, wherever she is competing. "Winning a Grand Slam is tough — a lot of things have to come together. This is a tough tournament, so I have no expectations. Of course, it would be a dream come true, but it’s not something I wake up thinking about. I focus more on how I want to play and what I want to improve each day."

Swiatek has had much success on court, with her charitably giving some of it back through her foundation. This has been something in the works for some time. "It actually has nothing to do with rankings or Grand Slams — I’ve been planning this since 2022. It’s fulfilling for me to do something off the court that can help others," she commented.

"When I started earning more money, I was honestly a bit confused. Happy, obviously, but confused — because it wasn’t always like that. We didn’t always have the money for me to continue. I know the struggles young athletes face. I wanted to use my resources — financially and in terms of experience from my team — to help others overcome obstacles."

These efforts have specifically been utilised in her home country of Poland, as she looks to help citizens get into sports. "Poland is a big country, but we could have more great athletes. Many face barriers they can’t get past. I hope it also shows that we should invest more private money into sport. In Poland, it’s hard to get sponsors unless someone is really passionate. In many sports, athletes have to work on the side just to live. Being an athlete is a tough job, but it inspires people — and they should be able to focus on that."

There is mixed emotions for Swiatek heading into the major event. On one hand she led Poland to United Cup glory for the first time, finally getting over the line in their third consecutive final. On the other hand, her form on court has got some question marks around it with some damaging singles defeats, in particular to Coco Gauff and Belinda Bencic.

"Losing singles is never a good feeling, but I’ve also had United Cups where I won all my singles and we still lost," she acknowledged. "So I really tried to appreciate the moment. It’s a team event, and what happens off the court — the atmosphere and bonding — is a big part of it. I told myself that even if I didn’t contribute with points, I could contribute in other ways. I was really happy. I had a lot of fun — honestly, the last time I had this much fun after winning was Wimbledon. It’s been some time. I think it’s great for Polish tennis and hopefully it will be remembered."

She highlighted how crucial a positive mentality would be in this period. "The Sydney matches weren’t the smoothest — it wasn’t an easy start. I think I still need to work on some things, and I could play better," Swiatek said. "Overall, it’s going to be about mentality — enjoying playing, bringing extra energy, intensity, and being there for every point. Not caring too much if I make mistakes or if something doesn’t work, just going forward and pushing. I’m working on all of that, and hopefully it’s going to be fine. I wouldn’t say I’m at my best yet — but I’m building."