Iga Swiatek’s 2025 season didn’t begin with fireworks, but it ended up telling a familiar story. As the months passed, the Polish star found her rhythm again, stacking wins, collecting titles, and gradually reasserting herself as the benchmark on the WTA Tour. The early doubts faded quietly, replaced by the sense that Swiatek had simply been recalibrating.
The turning point came on the most unlikely stage. Wimbledon had never been her comfort zone, a surface she openly viewed as a challenge rather than an opportunity. Yet this time, the grass didn’t resist her. Swiatek moved through the draw with growing authority and left London with the one trophy missing from her cabinet. It was less about proving others wrong and more about confronting a limitation she had long accepted.
With the tour now drifting toward the hard courts and the long buildup to Melbourne underway, attention has shifted to what comes next. The question is no longer whether Swiatek can adapt, but how high her ceiling might be in 2026.
Former world No. 1 Andy Roddick weighed in on that debate during a recent episode of his podcast Served with Andy Roddick. His assessment was direct. Swiatek, in his view, remains a favorite anywhere she plays. Roddick pushed back against the idea that her season ever truly faltered, pointing to her strong showing at the Australian Open earlier in the year. Her three-set loss to Madison Keys, he noted, said more about Keys’ power than Swiatek’s level.
She’s always one of the favorites… She played great in Australia this year. It’s not as if she started the year badly. I mean, she played great
The shift that changed everything
Roddick’s confidence aligns with what happened behind the scenes in 2025. During a difficult stretch marked by technical inconsistencies, especially on her forehand, Swiatek and her team took a hard look at her approach. According to performance psychologist Daria Abramowicz, the critical moment came between Rome and Paris, when honest conversations forced adjustments in mindset and attitude. Swiatek didn’t resist them. She leaned in.
The payoff was immediate and emphatic. At Wimbledon, she dismantled Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 in the final, a result highlighted by outlets like BBC Sport and the WTA as one of the most dominant championship performances in recent years. More importantly, it signaled a player at ease with uncertainty and capable of translating growth across surfaces.
I’ll take it one further. Insert her name, and then say any tournament you want to talk about
As the Australian Open looms on the horizon, Roddick’s projection feels grounded rather than speculative. Swiatek now carries belief where doubt once lived, and that shift may be the most dangerous development of all heading into 2026.
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