Iga Swiatek Quashes Rumors of Long Break Amid Inconsistent Performance Because It’s ‘Not a Solution’

Iga Swiatek hasn't yet reached a final since winning her fourth Roland Garros title last year by beating Jasmine Paolini.

Iga Swiatek Quashes Rumors of Long Break Amid Inconsistent Performance Because It’s ‘Not a Solution’

Iga Swiatek (via X/The Tennis Letter)

Iga Swiatek has often criticized the hectic 11-month calendar, mostly after her defeats. But she is not considering taking a long break.

Swiatek has produced inconsistent performances this season and hasn’t yet lifted a title since winning her fourth Roland Garros trophy at the French Open last year. Many from the tennis world think the doping scandal badly affected the Pole.

She was expected to end her trophy drought on clay but there too, she failed to reach a final for the first time since her Roland Garros win last year. At this French Open, she progressed to the semifinal only to schedule a clash with eventual runner-up Aryna Sabalenka which she ended up losing in three sets and was even handed a bagel.

Swiatek, however, knows that a long break could affect her rhythm. If her schedule becomes too hectic, Swiatek would consider skipping tournaments. She told Sport.pl:

I don’t feel the need to take a break. Even in the past, when I did feel like it, I continued working and had very satisfying moments. I don’t think it’s a good solution: I know how difficult it is to return to the circuit. I prefer to keep going and build my process. Tennis is very demanding and maybe I’ll skip a couple of tournaments to come back with renewed energy.

Swiatek didn’t play in the recently concluded Queen’s Club Championships and is also not playing at the Berlin Open. She will instead kick-start her campaign on grass at the Bad Homburg Open, a warm-up tournament before Wimbledon where the 24-year-old has never progressed beyond the quarterfinals, reaching the stage in 2023. Last year, Yulia Putintseva ended her run in the third round.

Iga Swiatek reveals what she is proud of the most this season

Iga Swiatek is proud of the performances she produced earlier this season. She first helped Poland reach the United Cup final for the second consecutive time (lost to USA).

Iga Swiatek
Iga Swiatek (Image via X/The Tennis Letter)

Swiatek then progressed to the Australian Open final but was defeated by eventual winner Madison Keys. During the hard-court Swing, Swiatek advanced to every quarterfinal and multiple semifinals. The only tournament where she failed to reach the last eight was at the Italian Open (clay-court tournament) where she lost in the third round to Danielle Collins.

Definitely at the beginning of the season. The tournaments in Australia were really great. I did a lot of work with an open mind in the pre-season to implement some of the changes that Wim [Fissette] wanted to implement. It clicked right away during the matches.

Iga Swiatek told Sport.pl

Last year, apart from the French Open, Swiatek lifted four more titles. Due to her inconsistent performance this year, she has dropped to the No.8 position on the rankings table. Swiatek lost her No.1 rankings to Aryna Sabalenka last year after she missed the mandatory tournaments on the Asian swing due to her provisional suspension.

Iga Swiatek to pair up with Casper Ruud for the US Open mixed doubles

This year’s mixed doubles events are moved to the qualifying week and it attracted many top players. Carlos Alcaraz made a special request to Emma Raducanu to pair up with him, while his arch-rival Jannik Sinner will be playing alongside Emma Navarro. Swiatek has paired up with Casper Ruud for the US Open mixed doubles but former player Sam Querrey doesn’t think the pair would win the tournament.

Iga Swiatek, Casper Ruud
Iga Swiatek, Casper Ruud (Image via X/DW Sports, Tennis Talks)

I don’t love that team to make a run.

Sam Querrey said on the Nothing Major podcast

In singles, Swiatek lifted the Major at Flushing Meadows in 2022. Ruud was the finalist that year in men’s singles, losing that match to Alcaraz.

Also read: Jack Draper Explains Why Emma Raducanu Chose Carlos Alcaraz Over Him For Dream Link-Up