Swiatek debuts in 2026: "It has been a difficult debut, but I was ready to return to competition"

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Iga Swiatek didn't have an easy debut. The Polish player was making her first appearance in 2026, a year full of high expectations, facing a tough opponent in Eva Lys. In fact, the German player was close to victory leading 6-3, 3-1, but the world number two reacted in time to avoid a defeat in her first match of the season and turned the match around to win 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Pressure is back on Swiatek in this new year, following an inconsistent 2025 highlighted by her unexpected triumph at Wimbledon. She aims for the consistency that has always characterized her game. Moreover, she is aware of the possibility of making tennis history by winning the Australian Open, completing the Career Grand Slam at just 24 years old.

To fulfill this dream, Swiatek has to work hard. She already felt it in her first match against Eva Lys in the United Cup 2026, where she was pushed from start to finish. Despite the scare, the Warsaw native values the fact that she woke up in time, especially considering her competitive spirit, to start a new tennis season.

Iga Swiatek values her hard-fought first victory of the year

"Undoubtedly, it has been a tough start to the season. I believe Eva pressured me a lot from the beginning. I needed to improve my game and find the right rhythm. I am happy I played a bit better in the second set. It was definitely a tough match with a close scoreline. So, I am glad I gave my all at key moments in the third set and managed to break her serve again."

Despite trailing, she enjoyed the match

"I enjoyed the first set because I knew there was work to be done. I focused solely on that. Later on, I would say that throughout the match, I had a pretty clear picture of what was happening. I wasn't playing well, but I knew there was work to be done, so I tried to change some things in the second set."

She wanted to return to competition

"Yes, I would say I enjoyed it because I had the chance to work through those tough moments. It wasn't easy. Obviously, it's easy to win with a nice and easy score, but one must also appreciate the competition. So, I was ready to compete, and although my tennis wasn't perfect, I made some unforced errors, I simply tried to compete, and I'm happy I did."

"I was happy to compete, and that's what gave me energy. I think you can approach this in different ways. I believe the best way to deal with it is not to play with expectations, to accept that you might feel a bit nervous facing a break point or something like that, but what's important is how you handle it," says Iga Swiatek, who is off to a good start in a year where pressure will be high once again.
 

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Swiatek se estrena en 2026: "Ha sido un debut difícil, pero estaba lista para volver a la competición"