Iga Świątek: “I can enter the university, but if I win the Grand Slam next year and get up to the top 5, I won’t have time”

Iga Świątek
Reuters

I was only 15 years old, when I won my first junior Grand Slam

“I’m only 19 years old, so nothing unusual happened in my life. As a child, I played tennis because I was full of energy. It was my chance to be on the court alone and make my own decisions. Actually, for a long time, I didn’t love tennis. I just didn’t know how much it could bring into my life. Playing my first junior Grand Slam, the French Open, I was 15 years old. That was the first time I wanted to become a professional tennis player. Despite being the most rated player in Poland, I wasn’t ready to play on a professional level, both psychologically and physically. We didn’t have many tennis players in our country, so there were no experienced players who could teach me how to achieve much success. I had to find my own way.

“Working with a psychologist was still enjoyable for me”

People often don’t become aware of how much pressure tennis players have. For me, it has always come from inside. Working with a psychologist was still enjoyable for me. I understood that my private life influences my matches. I started working on issues not related to tennis and focused on my relationship with my parents. It was clear: when I deal with things outside, my playing on the court becomes better. Winning and losing a match often has a psychological aspect. We are alone on the court – it is important to have someone you can trust.

“School is an essential part of my life”

School is an essential part of my life. I finished it a few weeks ago. I was given the time to pass my final exams because of a pandemic successfully. It was hard to study playing on a tour because I’m very ambitious and want to do everything correctly. However, my psychologist helped me to understand that I shouldn’t do everything perfectly. I can enter the university in the next few years. It depends on my tennis career. If I win the Grand Slam next year and get up to the top 5, I won’t have time.”

Incredible Iga Świątek at 19 won Roland Garros. She has everything: power, rotation, subtlety, intellect and psychologist.