Iga Swiatek is back—and she’s back with a bang! After a rocky patch that started with her surprising exit in the US Open quarterfinals, the Polish sensation had her share of hurdles to overcome. But now, with her comeback, she’s sent a powerful message: Swiatek is here to stay. But this return isn’t just about reclaiming her spot; it’s about showing gratitude to the fans who stood by her through the ups and downs

The Polish tennis sensation played the first match of her WTA finals campaign against Barbora Krejcikova on Sunday. Despite losing the first set in a major surprise, the former World No. 1 quickly clawed back on the match and handed a remarkable defeat to the Czech in a thrilling three-setter match, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2. But as Swiatek cruised through a victory, she witnessed immense support from her fans and the Pole cannot be thankful enough. 

Speaking after the match, Swiatek opened up about her challenges and said, “It wasn’t easy. At the start I felt rusty but I’m happy I found a way to play more solid. I didn’t feel great at the beginning. Barbora used that. The score went her way quickly.” Continuing further, she revealed that she was just waiting for her opportunities and hit back at her opponent wherever possible. As she navigated a tough route to victory, her fans were constantly cheering her in the match.  

When quizzed about her opinion on fans screaming in support of the star player, Swiatek said, “I hear it for sure. I missed that. In tough moments today when I heard you guys screaming it helped me.” Continuing further, she expressed her gratefulness and thanked the fans for supporting her despite her challenges. “Thank you guys for the support and for cheering.. even though at the beginning my game wasn’t so nice, you guys still believed.” Remember, Swiatek recently faced immense struggles in her professional career.

The 5-time Grand Slam champion failed to make a comeback on the courts ever since she was ousted in the US Open. To add to the woes, she also split with her long-time coach Tomasz Wiktorowski. Additionally, she also lost her World No. 1 ranking to Aryna Sabalenka, due to her continued absence and missing the entirety of the Asian Open. But as she makes a dominant comeback, her fans proved that they are backing her strongly. However, this is not the first time when the star player has depicted such emotional sentiments for her fans. 

Speaking after winning the WTA Finals last year, Swiatek made sure to express her gratitude to the fans in Cancun. In a message she posted on her social media, Swiatek wrote, “ would like to thank my team, I wouldn’t be in this place without you. I want to thank everyone who supports me every day through the ups and downs of every season,” she wrote. But Iga Swiatek’s tasks are not completed just yet and the star player is quite ready for the entire tournament.

When Iga Swiatek expressed her confident side for the WTA Finals

Iga Swiatek’s absence led to a lot of questions about her performance and ability to make a comeback after the long hiatus.  But despite these speculations and her long-term absence, Swiatek remains determined and motivated enough to leave an impact in Riyadh, as expressed by the player herself. 

Engaging with the press on media day, the 23-year-old answered the question on whether her comeback after a long absence would take a toll on her. “I think it’s not going to be a problem,” Swiatek said. Continuing further, she validated her remarks through her recent practice sessions against Sabalenka and Qinwen Zheng. “I don’t feel rusty. I played some points as well here with Aryna and [Zheng] Qinwen. Also, I’ve been practicing that way. I don’t feel like I missed a lot. I spent this time still playing tennis and for sure focusing on finding a new coach, making this transition. It’s always tricky.” And the star player has begun to prove the same. 

But for now, it would be interesting to see if Swiatek can continue her dominance in the upcoming matches as well. Will she get the same support from fans going forward in the tournament? Well, only time will tell.