Iga Swiatek’s Dedication Earns High Praise From Her Mentor Amid Moments of Agony and Sleepless Nights

Iga Swiatek and Poland “fought until the end“, in the 2024 BJP Cup SF, but they were knocked out of the competition by Italy. Despite this disappointing result, Iga Swiatek’s unparalleled dedication to winning a title for her nation was the highlight of the competition. After winning her three singles rubbers during the playoff and one of her two doubles matches with Katarzyna Kawa, she admitted there was nothing left in the tank as she had to play back-to-back matches. But what did the Poland captain say about her incredible dedication?

After losing the contest, Iga Swiatek said, “Honestly, I don’t think I have ever been so tired before, especially after this last match we played. Still, I have no regrets, I fought for every point.” She was so tired at that moment, that she said, “I don’t think I’ll feel any strength tomorrow when I wake up; I feel like my whole body is sore.“

Recently, Poland’s captain, Dawid Celt shared a bit about what happened in the ‘White and Reds’ camp during the completion. During his interview with Marek Furjan on the ‘Break Point’ channel, Celt first spoke about how each and every member of the team worked hard during the competition. Then he revealed, “After the match with the Czechs we finished the day at 5:30 in the morning. The physiotherapists finished their work, especially with Iga, around 5:30 in the morning. They went to bed around six.”

Hailing Iga Swiatek’s valiant efforts in the completion, Dawid Celt further added, “You know what, she was a complete leader, that’s for sure. She left a lot of health and really gave it her all. That last day, after the match with the Italians, she said: ‘I couldn’t sleep at night. My knee hurt, my shoulder hurt.’ It was really a huge burden and she really did the maximum she could do, so I’m very proud of that and I thank her very much for that.” Is it the first time, we’ve heard Celt heaping praise on Swiatek’s leadership skills, though?

Well even in November, after making their exit from the BJK Cup, Dawid Celt spoke on similar lines about the Polish superstar. He said, “She is the undisputed leader of this team. She left everything that was best of her, heart, character.“

If we take a look at Iga Swiatek’s season, it has been a mix of good and bad this year. She started the season pretty well but then in the second half, she lost a bit of that momentum. She had struggled with her form on the court and off the court, she had to face a lot of trouble due to the doping controversies. All these things and her absence from the Tour after the US Open cost her the top spot. Aryna Sabalenka replaced her as the new world number one! 

However, with the first Grand Slam tournament of the 2025 season knocking on the doors, Iga Swiatek will be keen to get some wins in her kitty before taking the flight to Melbourne. She is all set to compete in the World Tennis League exhibition tournament and the United Cup later this month. Time will tell if she can build some momentum from these tournaments and carry that forward to the AO or not, but what are her goals for the 2025 season?

Iga Swiatek targets “new goals” for the 2025 season

After losing the final contest at the BJK Cup with team Poland, Iga Swiatek said, “Now I will start 2025 with new goals, I’m looking forward to it, as I didn’t have much time to train with Wim [Fissette], so it will be good to try out new things.” Swiatek also admitted that she had a few ups and downs in the second part of the season, but she assured the fans that she’d analyze everything with her team and make a stronger comeback next season.

What does her coach Wim Fissette have to say about her goals in 2024? Well, during a previous interview with the Eurosport, Fissette said, “I really want to experience the clay season with her. Live those tournaments day after day, especially Roland Garros.“

He further went on to add, “Of course, what we want is for Iga to continue to be the queen on that surface. This will be the main goal since everyone wants to see Iga reign on clay. Even the fans themselves place her as the queen of the surface. Obviously, being able to make an impact in the other Slams will also be a primary goal, perhaps obtaining a greater degree of comfort on faster surfaces.“

While Wim Fissette highlighted how difficult it is to make the switch from clay courts to the grass, he assured all the Iga Swiatek fans that they would try different methods. Do you think Iga Swiatek can find success at the Australian Open next month?