Swiatek: "If I had more time to train, I would be a much better tennis player"

Diego Jiménez Rubio | 16 Jan 2026 | 11.13

Iga Swiatek, sensations at Australian Open 2026. Photo: gettyimages.

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Pursuing a dream is the driving force to explore established limits, but it can also generate pressure that is difficult to manage. Iga Swiatek knows this well, as she appeared at a press conference prior to the 2026 Australian Open fully aware that she is seven victories away from completing the Career Grand Slam. The Polish player reflected on how to face this challenge and how she could become a better tennis player.

The privilege of fighting for historic goals also carries the responsibility of isolating oneself from all media noise and developing a very particular competitive mindset. Iga Swiatek is in a position to add to an already impressive list of achievements at only 24 years old, with a title at the 2026 Australian Open, which would allow her to complete her own Career Grand Slam, winning all four majors. Her words in the press conference highlight everything the Polish player has learned in previous years.

This is what Iga Swiatek said before the 2026 Australian Open

Mindset for approaching the tournament

"I understand that journalists think a lot about the Career Grand Slam, many people have been talking to me about it since the preseason. I am focused on daily work because all the successes I have achieved in my career have come from thinking match by match and working hard to be a better player every day. Winning a Grand Slam is very complicated, many factors have to come together, so I do not think of it as a goal. Every day when I wake up, I think that my goal is to be a better tennis player, nothing more," explained the Polish player.

How she could become a better player

"It is difficult to define myself because in tennis, feelings change every day. There are matches where I see myself as a wall from the baseline, defending everything very well, but then I miss easy balls when I need to be aggressive, and vice versa. The most important thing is to be prepared to accept what comes and adapt to the circumstances. If you want to reach the top, you have to be very good at attacking, but also at defending," she explained.

When asked about what aspect she could improve, the Polish player is clear. "I believe I can grow a lot in terms of variety in my game. Using the slice backhand more, coming to the net more often... Sometimes, I tend to rely on my usual patterns, although my coach encourages me to use those resources more. I feel that if I had more time to train, I would be a better player because I could work a lot on aspects of my game that are not my basics. Between tournaments, we barely have time to learn new things," Iga commented.

Development of her Foundation created last year

"It is something I always wanted to do. The truth is, since I started earning a lot of money, I felt somewhat confused because I had never had that amount of resources before. I know perfectly well the problems that young athletes face, and I wanted to help with my experience and financial resources in overcoming some obstacles. Poland could have many more top-level athletes if there were more private investment in sports, and it is worthwhile because we can inspire many young people," affirmed a highly motivated Iga Swiatek to achieve something significant at the 2026 Australian Open.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Swiatek: "Si tuviera más tiempo para entrenar, sería mucho mejor tenista"