From the Tears of Paris to the Smile of London

Raquel Bermúdez Rodríguez | 13 Jul 2025 | 09.00

Iga Swiatek, Wimbledon 2025 Champion. Photo: Getty.

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There may be other photos where she looks more flattering, but none express the tremendous whirlwind of emotions she has experienced in the past few months until triumphing in London. Her clay court season, which was rather disappointing in terms of results, especially compared to her previous years, left a heavily affected Iga Swiatek who has now been reborn at Wimbledon 2025, the most unexpected tournament for the Polish player.

Now that the term is quite trendy, we can say it was a Mandela effect that Iga didn't know how to play on grass. The Mandela effect is a phenomenon where many people remember a fact or detail incorrectly, believing it happened differently than it actually did, or a belief that spreads but doesn't have a very certain basis.

Iga Swiatek's Mandela Effect and Grass

For seasons, we have heard that Iga Swiatek doesn't know how to play on grass. However, back in 2018 when the Polish player was only 17 years old, she won the junior category, a tournament she conquered after also being the champion at Roland Garros. Due to her success on clay, everyone, including herself, had forgotten that she also excels at winning on grass.

"Seeing myself as a champion is surreal to me; no one expected it," said the Polish player in a press conference. Her best result at the tournament was reaching the quarter-finals, although sooner or later, that had to change for a player who excels on all surfaces and always brings out her best tennis, even when it seems to be her worst moment.

A Perfect Way to Close a Crisis

The disappointing defeats on clay caused a flood of criticism towards the player who not too long ago was world number one, triggering various rumors about her bad streak on the circuit. News from Poland pointed to family matters as possible causes of her slump, but Iga stayed out of all the talk, always trying to focus on giving her best on the courts.

The self-demand and external pressure were such that Swiatek broke down in tears on Philippe Chatrier after losing to Aryna Sabalenka in the Roland Garros semi-finals. Sharing those tears with the world raised some concerns, but far from taking a break away from the courts or even considering skipping the grass court season, the Polish player returned with all her strength to reach the final in Bad Homburg, where she lost to Pegula, and then completely rebuilt herself to put the icing on the cake, an icing she didn't even know she wanted.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, De las lágrimas de París a la sonrisa de Londres