Iga Swiatek now admits the ‘mistake’ she made in 2024 that she has addressed for this year’s Australian Open

Iga Swiatek has acknowledged that the pressure of maintaining her world number one status negatively impacted her performance at the 2024 Australian Open, where she was defeated in the fourth round by Elena Rybakina. Reflecting on this, Swiatek admitted, “I felt the pressure, and I felt that I don’t want to lose instead of I want to win.”

To address this issue for the 2025 season, Swiatek has made significant changes, including hiring a new coach, Wim Fissette, known for his work with Naomi Osaka. She believes this partnership will bring a fresh perspective and help her focus more on her game rather than external expectations. Swiatek stated, “I feel like that was enough of a change. We’re obviously working a little bit differently because it’s always different when you change coaches.”

Additionally, Swiatek is adopting a more relaxed approach, aiming to concentrate on her performance rather than her ranking. She emphasized the insignificance of rankings when facing formidable opponents, saying, “I don’t really look at rankings anymore.”

These adjustments reflect Swiatek’s commitment to learning from past experiences and enhancing her mental resilience as she competes in the 2025 Australian Open.