WTA Finals Player Profile: Iga Swiatek

Current Ranking: 2

W/L: 63-11

Titles: 5 (Qatar, Stuttgart, Roland Garros, Warsaw, Beijing)

Grand Slam Record: 17-3

WTA Finals Appearance: 3

Best Result: SF (2022)

“You don’t get up in the morning to be average.”

That’s Iga Swiatek’s motto. Spending much of the year ranked No. 1, collecting a fourth career Grand Slam trophy, and a tour-leading five tournament titles certainly qualifies as above average. Inking a lucrative endorsement deal with On to become the running giant’s face of its tennis business isn’t too shabby either.

But expectations being what they are, it could seem like an average year for Swiatek. Aside from the Roland Garros title, a quarterfinal showing at Wimbledon was her next best result in a major. Her fourth-round loss at the US Open (to Jelena Ostapenko) pushed her off the No. 1 ranking after 75 weeks—10th on the all-time list—as she failed to defend her title.

The introspective 22 year-old admitted that the pressure to continue her reign was exhausting and adversely affected her tennis. Swiatek’s mentality is to always search for ways to extract her best, such as practicing with tape over her mouth to improve her endurance. After the disappointment in New York, she took time off to work on technique and rediscover greater consistency and confidence in her game. The break eventually paid off in China earlier this month, where she dropped just one set on route to the title.

The win puts finishing the year back at No. 1 in play in Cancun.

Grab Swiatek’s Gear

Tecnifibre Tempo 298 IGA ($229) (Purchase now at TennisShop.com)

Swiatek was just 20 years-old when Tecnifibre decided to release her signature frame. More than just a tribute, the racquet closely matches the same specs of Swiatek’s own on-court frame—hence the unique 298-gram unstrung weight—including her preferred balance, stiffness and string pattern. The racquet also houses popular Tecnifibre technologies such as Dynacore and foam filling for shock dispersion and comfort. From a playability standpoint, it combines the precision and stability of the brand’s T-Fight models with the quickness and comfort of its T-Rebound frames. It’s designed to be a versatile racquet that performs equally well in the hands of aspiring juniors, league competitors and Grand Slam champs. Completing the look is the high-gloss finish commonly found on a pro stock frame.