With her 2024 season now over, Iga Swiatek is ready for some well-deserved rest and relaxation. After starting the year as the world No. 1, she faced both triumphs and challenges. Swiatek clinched victory in five tournaments, including a Grand Slam title at the French Open. However, a tough loss to Jessica Pegula at the US Open marked a turning point. Following that setback, she took a break and parted ways with her former coach. Later, she joined forces with Wim Fissette and since then she’s been on a journey to get back in the game! But now it’s time to rest.

Swiatek returned to the tour at the WTA Finals, where she played well but faced a tough lineup. Despite her efforts, she was eliminated before reaching the quarterfinals. Nevertheless, she showed resilience by fighting for Poland in the Billie Jean King Cup. Despite the fatigue and limited training time, she helped her team reach the semifinals before losing to Italy, effectively ending her season. A couple of hours ago, Swiatek expressed her feelings in an Instagram post.

Sharing moments from her season, both on and off the court, Iga penned, “🙏🏻 Thanks for this season. First and foremost I’m thanking myself and my team because it was another extraordinary year. It was the season of not being a superhero and accepting it, facing new challenges, grinding, hard work, appreciating milestones and unlocking new achievements. But what’s fundamental, I finish this year with huge satisfaction and pride of my grit, strength and everything that I’ve done and achieved which says more than any words. It’s time to rest and reset. My body and mind need that. Thank you to every kind and supportive human being who is by my side in this journey. See you soon.”

The pole is ending the year ranked No. 2 behind Aryna Sabalenka. While she shone at Roland Garros, significant defeats, such as a semifinal loss at the Olympics and a quarterfinal exit at the US Open, weighed heavily on her. Affecting her both physically and mentally. Swiatek wraps up the year, feeling proud of all that she’s done. With five Grand Slam titles and 22 singles titles under her belt over the years, she now sees her 2024 season with no regrets.

Looking ahead, Swiatek aims to build on this experience with Fissette as they prepare for the 2025 season. The gap between their partnership’s start and her last two tournaments was short. So now she’s eager to strengthen their collaboration and return even stronger next year!

Swiatek gets candid about her 2025 season expectations with the new coach

After the Billie Jean King Cup Finals on November 19th, Iga Swiatek took a moment to reflect on her season. “Last year I struggled with it, so this year I think I progressed in that a lot, but it’s hard not to reflect on everything,” she admitted. It’s been a challenging few months for the Polish star. However, she faced “ups and downs” that tested her consistency and ultimately cost her the No. 1 ranking after 122 weeks, as Aryna Sabalenka took the lead. Swiatek noted that playing as No. 1 this year felt easier than before.

“I think this year it was easier for me to play as No. 1 and with a target on my back,” she said, feeling less pressure than when she first achieved the ranking. Additionally, the split with her longtime coach Tomasz Wiktorowski was another pivotal moment; they had won four of her five Grand Slam titles together. Now, with new coach Wim Fissette—known for his analytical style and working with players like Naomi Osaka, who are famous for their hard court consistency—Swiatek, who is yet to dominate hard courts, is optimistic about her future.

Despite an early exit from the WTA Finals and a semifinal loss at the BJK Cup, Swiatek remains positive. “We haven’t had time with Wim to practice a lot. So it’s going to be nice to try that,” she acknowledged. She understands that building their partnership will take time. Looking ahead, she is excited about starting the new season with fresh goals: “I’m going to start the new season with some new goals, and I’m already looking forward to it.” Her next challenge awaits at the United Cup in December.

With Fissette’s guidance, Swiatek aims to secure more Grand Slam titles as she prepares for a competitive 2025 season ranked No. 2 behind Sabalenka. Will she rise to the occasion? Share your thoughts in the comments below!