Iga Swiatek gives verdict on court-side ‘coaching pods’ introduced at Australian Open after first-round win

World No.2 Iga Swiatek breezed past Katerina Siniakova in the first-round match at the 2025 Australian Open.

Iga Swiatek gives verdict on court-side ‘coaching pods’ introduced at Australian Open after first-round win

Iga Swiatek (Image via X)

World No. 2 Iga Swiatek kick-started her Australian Open campaign with a 6-3, 6-4 win over World No.50 Katerina Siniakova on Monday (January 13). After recording her 23rd first-round win in a Major in an hour and 21 minutes, Swiatek talked about whether she is a fan of the ‘coaching pods’ introduced at the Australian Open.

While Swiatek’s rival and current World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is not a fan of the coaching pods, for she wants to see her full team members and her boyfriend Georgios Frangulis during matches, Swiatek feels they are more convenient than a traditional box.

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I think it’s much more convenient because, well, we can use the coaching and we don’t…we don’t need to, if we don’t want to. But you know, I think these rules with a coach, they were nice for smaller courts but if you play on a stadium it’s impossible to hear the coach anyway, so now actually makes more sense.

Iga Swiatek said at the press conference

The coaching pods, placed at the opposite corners of the court, allow players to communicate more easily with the coaches during matches. Only four members of a team are allowed to sit in the pods.

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Iga Swiatek recalls doping scandal after first-round win

Iga Swiatek is playing her second tournament since serving her doping ban. Swiatek, who is chasing her first Australian Open title and wants to forget everything that happened in the last couple of months, talked about what she has learned from the doping controversy.

Iga Swiatek
Iga Swiatek (Image via X)

I think, just accepting the fact that sometimes you’re not going to have control over some stuff in your life and this situation can happen, and then you have to deal with it. For sure it’s going to, like it was a big lesson and it’s going to help me like in like other aspects of my life. So this one was the biggest one I would say.

Iga Swiatek said at the press conference

Swiatek was banned due to the drug trimetazidine in her sample because of contaminated sleep medication melatonin. She was handed a one-month ban by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) during which she missed three tournaments on the Asian swing last year.

Swiatek, who last year was eliminated after losing in the third round, is now set to face 49th-ranked player Rebecca Sramkova from Slovakia in the second round of the Australian Open. The 28-year-old defeated Katie Volynets in the first round to set up the clash with the Pole.