Iga Swiatek‘s road to tennis glory isn’t one you randomly stumble upon. Instead, the Polish tennis star’s methodology is like clockwork with unusual training methods leading to her triumphs. She has amassed massive fame during her time on the WTA Tour, pocketing five Grand Slam titles under her belt. But, don’t take it at its face value. Her preparation goes deeper than one can anticipate.

The young talent is known to skip warm-up tournaments which are generally utilized by players to prep for bigger events. Despite such measures, Swiatek still produces effective results in Major tournaments, delivering better outcomes than before. Naturally, it begs the question as to why the Pole does things differently. Subsequently, her physiotherapist answered these lingering questions while backing Swiatek’s scheduling decisions. He also made a candid admission about her emotions.

In an interview with the Polish daily ‘Onet‘, the Polish star’s physiotherapist Maciej Ryszczuk opened up about the reason behind Swiatek’s absence from multiple tournaments. He notably stated that labeling the superstar as a “machine” isn’t fairly accurate.

Ryszczuk diverted his focus on the Pole’s emotions – which are often put on display for the tennis world to witness. In continuation, he said like all humans and machines alike, the World No. 1 requires rest to adequately recover for bigger battles ahead in her journey. “You can see how much emotion Iga shows. Comparing her to a machine is not entirely accurate. She often says that she is, above all, a human being. If we talk about physical aspects, then just like machines, they can be unreliable and therefore need to be serviced and repaired. Iga is no different in this respect.”

As luck would have it, Swiatek’s recovery schedule might come in handy. She is all set to showcase her skillset at the 2024 Paris Olympics. However, a recent plot twist is bound to trouble her at the Games.

Iga Swiatek Olympics campaign in trouble after Hubert Hurkacz withdrawal

Swiatek triumphed at the 2024 French Open for the third consecutive time this season. Despite maintaining an excellent form on her favored hunting ground, the red clay – the official surface for the Olympic tennis events, her dream run at the event will be posed with a credible challenge.

The 23-year-old’s compatriot Hubert Hurkacz has withdrawn from the quadrennial event due to a knee injury he sustained during his Wimbledon campaign. This will have a massive impact on the Pole’s chances to clinch a gold medal for her nation. With Hurkacz’s absence and no one to fill his shoes, Swiatek cannot participate in the mixed doubles category.

Moreover, this wasn’t the end of her troubles. The Polish tennis team’s efforts to gain a wildcard entry for Swiatek’s mixed doubles showdown also went in vain. Now, it all boils down to whether she can deliver noteworthy results in singles. If she manages to maintain her composure, her chances of bagging a gold medal in Paris won’t look too slim!