Wimbledon, England – Simply hours after successful his fourth title on the French Open final June, Iga Candy was requested by a reporter in regards to the upcoming grass season.
With the launch of Wimbledon only a few weeks away, there have been just a few alternatives to play within the floor warm-up occasion. Swiatek did not appear to be fearful.
“If I had misplaced right here early, I’d in all probability have the ability to play two extra weeks with Grass and turn out to be a greater Grass participant,” Swiatek mentioned of the information. “But when I had to decide on, I am not going to surrender on it as a result of I like enjoying with clay.”
Swiatek then selected to skip all of the grass tournaments and give attention to relaxation and restoration after a protracted clay season. She misplaced within the third spherical on the All England Membership.
Nevertheless, this yr, Swiatek misplaced early along with her beloved Roland Garros. She was offended at world primary Enviornment Sabalenka within the semi-finals, and ended her dream looking for a fourth consecutive main title. Swiatek, involuntarily, has elevated the time to organize for the grass.
Her phrases a yr in the past turned out to be appropriate. The extra weeks on the floor helped her turn out to be a greater grass participant. However even she couldn’t have predicted how good she was, and the way dominant she can be. Or how she thrives with out the overwhelming consideration and stress she confronted within the French Open.
And he or she definitely could not speculate that she would turn out to be the 2025 Wimbledon champion. However that was precisely what occurred on Saturday, successful inside an hour at No. 13 Seeda Manda Animova, following a formidable two weeks and an unimaginable 6-0, 6-0 victory.
“To be sincere, I did not dream of (this) dream as a result of it was too far for me,” Swiatek instructed the court docket shortly after securing the title. “After successful the slams earlier than, I really feel like an already skilled participant, however I wasn’t actually anticipating this.”
The 24-year-old Swiatek has turn out to be the eighth feminine and solely energetic WTA participant to win six Grand Slam titles and win main titles on all three surfaces. She can also be the youngest to take action since Martina Hingis in 2003. She’s as stunned as anybody who managed to do this.
Paradoxically, Swiatek’s excessive level Whereas at Wimbledon as a junior, she received the ladies’s singles title in 2018.
It was her solely slam title as a junior and he or she was just about unmanageable whereas she was operating. However even a short abstract on Wimbledon’s web site after a 6-4, 6-2 victory within the finals mentioned “clay stays her beneficial floor.”
Positive sufficient, clay was the place Swiatek initially found his most profitable professionally. She reached the primary WTA ultimate on the floor after which astonished the tennis world by successful the title on the 2020 French Open, which lagged behind the 2020 pandemic as a comparatively unknown on the unseeded 19-year-old.
Many had been new to Swiatek and her sport earlier than the match, however she made a substantial impression whereas operating.
“The best way she’s enjoying now can be onerous to think about that she would not win a half-dozen majors,” mentioned seven-time main champion and tennis analyst John McEnroe after the victory. “It is unimaginable.”
The clay remained her bread and butter, however she additionally emerged as a powerful hardcourt participant. She received her first title on the floor of Adelaide, a 500-level occasion, simply months after her breakthrough in Paris. She recorded a historic 37-game successful streak within the spring of 2022. This contains titles from the Indian Wells, Miami, Stuttgart, Rome and French Open, and first received the world No. 1 rankings in April of that yr, following Ashley Bertie’s surprising retirement. Her successful streak was stopped within the third spherical of Wimbledon, however she had opened the US by the tip of the yr.
Swiatek held the highest rankings for 75 weeks. After failing to defend her US open title in 2023, she briefly fell to second place, with Sabalenka at primary, however recovered it simply eight weeks later. The 2024 season was geared toward being equally dominant for Swiatek.
“She’s primary. I believe she’s actually good on each asset within the sport,” Sabalenka mentioned after shedding to her within the Italian Open Finals final yr.
However after winding up her fifth main trophy, Swiatek struggled by customary anyway, fourth at Roland Garros. A transparent favorite of the 2024 Olympics (held at Roland Garros), Swiatek left in bronze after getting upset within the semi-finals. She later fell to the quarterfinals of the US Open. She parted methods with longtime coach Thomas Wiktrowski and shortly started working with Wim Fissett. Swiatek was suspended for a month in November after testing constructive for a banned substance.
On the time, for nearly without end for a participant of her caliber – she hadn’t received one other title. On the 2025 French Open, all eyes had been on her to see if she might flip issues round. When she did not, her rating fell to a spectacular quantity 8.
It appears unlikely that Wimbledon and grass might be significantly better as she hasn’t finished properly on the floor or the match.
Grass is the shortest a part of the annual tennis calendar, with Candy successful the French Open about three weeks earlier than Wimbledon’s launch. It left a really quick window for grass preparation.
“I believe the hardest transition is grass,” mentioned 18-time main champion and ESPN analyst Chris Ebert, forward of Wimbledon. “You are a pink clay (on) with you having a five-week match. You may actually get used to enjoying with clay by the point the French opens arrives, however Wimbledon is absolutely tough, particularly for gamers who get alongside properly with the French.”
Evert talked about Coco Gauff as a current instance. The 2025 French Open champion returned to play after a whirlwind media tour for one warm-up match in Berlin and misplaced within the opening match. She was then upset in her first spherical at Wimbledon.
Along with the short turnaround, the clay and grass surfaces are basically completely different. Even a few of the most skilled veterans wrestle with the transition between the 2.
“These two surfaces, pink clay and grass, are polar and require plenty of changes,” Evert added. “The courts are completely different. The positioning is completely different. You could shorten the stroke. You could at all times transfer to the web if potential. There may be plenty of clay that it’s worthwhile to take into consideration and regulate.”
Earlier than this yr, Swiatek’s finest end result at Wimbledon was within the quarterfinals in 2023. In her restricted grass match appearances throughout that point, she performed in three major attracts outdoors of Wimbledon after turning into a professional.
However even one match for a yr, one match can change all the things. Swiatek mentioned she is not centered on the factors and her rankings following the French open exit, and he or she says she is going to nearly instantly flip her consideration to the grass.
“Hopefully we’ll have a reasonably small preseason in grass, as a result of it is at all times fairly tough to have it, particularly if you need to be just a little dwelling,” Swiatek mentioned final month. “However I do not suppose I must go dwelling now, so I’d go someplace in Europe and follow.”
SwiaTek returned to the competitors at Dangerous Homburg in lower than three weeks. She received two main champion Victoria Azarenka in 16 rounds and reached the first-ever grass ultimate with a 6-1, 6-3 victory within the semi-finals at 2024 Wimbledon finalist Jasmine Palini. She ultimately misplaced the title to Jessica Pegra, however she arrived on the All-England membership with momentum on her aspect, as she instructed reporters the subsequent day “be assured.”
Nevertheless, there have been far fewer Weirtech at Wimbledon than the French Open, and Sabalenka was an awesome favorite to win. All of it appeared to swimsuit Swiatek.
A lot of her top-ranked friends, together with No. 2 Gauff and No. 3 Pegula, fell early within the upset opening spherical, however Swiatek was principally managed and appeared to enhance in each match. On her option to the finals, she dropped one set (to America’s Kathy McNally, who received the Junior French Open Doubles title in 2018), propelled by her sturdy serve, shedding six service video games in her first six video games. She routed Belinda Bensik 6-2, 6-0 within the semi-finals on Thursday.
“I undoubtedly felt like she was on fireplace,” Bensik later mentioned. “After all I watched the sport once more and noticed that I used to be capable of do it in a different way from my workforce, however I might need needed to play the very best tennis in my life.
Strawberry and pasta 🍓@igga_swiateMy favorite meal is an attention-grabbing meal#wimbledon pic.twitter.com/fjndwrbe8x
– Wimbledon (@wimbledon) July 5, 2025
Alongside the way in which, Swiatek appeared to be having enjoyable. She went viral resulting from her pasta and strawberry dishes and her affinity for Wimbledon towels. She hilariously found as many storage cabinets as potential all through the match after the match.
On Saturday of the ultimate, she had essentially the most dominant efficiency ever. Swiatek broke Anisimova within the opening sport, however there was little doubt for the remainder of the highway. She scored her first set in 25 minutes, holding Anishimoba to only 9 factors. It was simply the second main feminine ultimate within the open period, that includes a rating of 6-0 and 6-0. It solely occurred beforehand in Wimbledon in 1911.
When requested after the match by ESPN’s Mary Joe Fernandez to elucidate what she simply achieved, Candy mentioned she did not suppose she might.
Are you coming to Wimbledon for tennis? maybe.
Would you want to come back to Wimbledon and add it to your towel assortment? completely.Iga, we perceive. We get it. 😉#wimbledon pic.twitter.com/5scnjpzadi
– Wimbledon (@wimbledon) July 3, 2025
“I used to be actually competing for the entire two weeks,” Swiatek mentioned. “It doesn’t matter what occurred earlier than the season, I trusted the method and what the coach needed to do with the grass, so all the things I needed to do on the court docket was very simple.
“I believe it was an amazing assist and I simply leaned over it. I had plenty of confidence in each match and this occurred. So it is all fairly surreal and loopy. I am unable to clarify it, however I am so blissful and I am definitely having fun with the subsequent day.”
The entire 35 video games misplaced within the match was the fewest ladies’s champions at Wimbledon since Martinana Bratilova in 1990.
After emotional With Anishimoba holding her on-line on the conclusion of the match, Candy ran to her field and celebrated along with her workforce. Regardless of the rating and biased contest, Swiatek appeared unimaginable. When she returned to court docket earlier than the trophy ceremony, she emphasised her head when she was positioned in her hand whereas staring on the individual contained in the field.
With the Wimbledon Trophy, Swiatek is now simply one of many major titles of Venus Williams, among the many most energetic gamers on the WTA Tour. She is at the moment returning to 3rd place in her newest rankings.
Though she hadn’t been plenty of an element at Wimbledon earlier than, Swiatek has discovered a option to win essentially the most unlikely title at a time of her youthful profession. She has not but known as herself a herbivore knowledgeable on Saturday, admitting that she would not know what to anticipate from the ultimate.
“I did not know if there was one other alternative resulting from my earlier (Wimbledon) outcomes, so I needed to benefit from the second,” Swiatek instructed Fernandez. “I nonetheless felt like an underdog. I used to be on Centre Courtroom and actually needed to be immersed in each minute of my already grateful for what I did on this match, however alternatively I did extra and bought courageous.”
She might have been below the radar within the match, however she was just a little uncertain of herself, however it by no means occurs once more. Additionally, she will not get a reduction in any match within the close to future. All through the 2 weeks she left little doubts about her talents and her willingness to adapt and develop as a participant, whatever the floor. In doing so, she solidified her place as all of the face participant and regained her finest place within the sport. Swiatek is now on high of the tennis world once more.
Simply 5 weeks in the past, Swiatek disillusioned and disillusioned Roland Garros. She hadn’t received the title. Questions swirled about her future and her lack of ability to win a current title.
Nevertheless, on Saturday she stood on the centre court docket with over 14,000 followers and admiration eyes of Princess Welsh Catherine, so she puzzled whether or not it was top-of-the-line issues that would have occurred to her profession. Nobody is aware of what’s coming subsequent for Swiatek, however on Saturday, all the things felt proper for her.
“I actually do not care what occurs,” Swiatek mentioned of the remainder of the season. “It is onerous to match (this title) to different Grand Slams, however yeah, I really feel I will take pleasure in it and luxuriate in the way in which I’ve felt on the court docket over the previous few weeks, particularly once I bought again dwelling.
“So, go away me alone, let me work and give attention to myself. I hope they show to everybody that they should carry out as nice as they do at present.”
