"Winning Wimbledon was a dream come true": Iga Swiatek carries confidence into Canadian Open

Iga Swiatek arrives in a renewed state of confidence after winning the Wimbledon title, her sixth Grand Slam title. The Pole had experienced a last year with several painful defeats, falling in seven consecutive semifinals and in the final of the Bad Homburg Open just the week before everything began at the All England Club.

However, she rediscovered her confidence and managed to break the negative streak in final stages. Swiatek returned to a Grand Slam final and claimed her first title in over a year, defeating American Amanda Anisimova with a historic 6-0, 6-0, on the surface that had been the most elusive in her career until now.

Swiatek had been displaced from world No. 1 by Aryna Sabalenka towards the end of 2024 and had remained a considerable distance behind the Belarusian for the past year. However, the Wimbledon title revitalizes her possibilities, and the chance to return to the top of the ranking becomes increasingly apparent.

Sabalenka's absence from the Canadian Open – a tournament where Swiatek is not defending points – reopens her possibilities even further, and a good run at the Canadian Open would be another step towards reclaiming the top spot. Currently at world No. 3, Swiatek knows she will have her chance in the coming weeks.

"Reaching the top is a challenge. It requires mental strength and a lot of consistency. You always have to be ready for every tournament, both physically and mentally. Becoming the player everyone wants to defeat is one of the most difficult things."

"It's been a very busy couple of weeks, but I'm very happy. Winning Wimbledon was a dream come true. I went back to work with my team to get used to the new conditions and the new surface. I'm glad I arrived a little early to train and prepare. I'm really looking forward to playing the tournament," she added about Montreal.

In the coming weeks – once everything finishes at the Canadian Open – come the Cincinnati Open and US Open, two tournaments where Sabalenka is the defending champion. Swiatek is not defending too many points in the final part of the year, and in the WTA Race, she is less than 1,500 points away from the top – an amount that wouldn't be unreasonable for her to make up in this hardcourt swing, especially if she maintains the confidence she showed at SW19.

In 2024, the American hardcourt swing was the moment when Swiatek began to decline and lose confidence. In fact, she didn't even play in Canada – in Toronto last year – losing the points she had earned in 2023 by reaching the semifinals, where she was defeated by Jessica Pegula.

"Last time I played, I had a very good tournament. It wasn't always easy for me to perform at my best on faster courts, but I remember having a very good training. I played well and have very good memories. I'm trying to take the opportunity to get to know Montreal and enjoy my time here."

The current world No. 2 will make her debut this Tuesday, July 29th, against the relatively unknown Chinese player Guo Hanyu, who reached the main draw from qualifying. In the first round, she defeated Yulia Putintseva – in what was her first victory in a WTA 1000 main draw – and will have the chance to face Swiatek on one of the main courts.