Joining Coco Gauff at US Open Iga Swiatek Breaks Silence on Mental Pressure During Grand Slams

Cast your mind back to last July, when Iga Swiatek lifted Wimbledon, the crown jewel of tennis, to cement herself as the defining player of her era. She did it in ruthless fashion, dismantling Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0, a signature double bagel etched into her reign of dominance. From there, her aura only grew stronger, conquering the Cincinnati Open titles and marching into the US Open as the undisputed favorite. Having already mastered every surface in professional tennis, the question remained: did she still feel the crushing weight of Grand Slam pressure? Indeed, she did, as Świątek now stands alongside Coco Gauff in dismantling the mental pressure dilemma.

Iga Świątek is once again making history, etching her name deeper into the chronicles of women’s tennis. With a commanding victory over Ekaterina Alexandrova, the Polish powerhouse surged into the U.S. Open quarterfinals. 

This win crowned her as the youngest woman since 2005 to reach the last eight at all four Grand Slams in a single season, a record not seen since Maria Sharapova’s golden run. Having already conquered Wimbledon this summer, Świątek now eyes the glittering double of Wimbledon and U.S. Open in the same year, but the ever-present shadow of pressure still hovers above her.

In her post-match reflections, Świątek was asked a seemingly simple question: what’s her favorite surface? Her answer, though lighthearted, carried a subtle weight. “Well now I like all of them… which is weird. But for sure the clay court season has always been my favorite,” she admitted with a smile. Yet the conversation soon shifted from surfaces to struggles, as she peeled back the curtain on the mental battles that accompany her brilliance.

Iga Swiatek after beating Alexandrova at the U.S. Open

“What’s your favorite surface to play on?”

Iga: “Well now I like all of them… which is weird . But for sure the clay court season has always been my favorite. But people make it pretty hard for me with all the pressure… pic.twitter.com/SRq8sa8Kk3

— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) September 1, 2025

“But people make it pretty hard for me with all the pressure around. I think sometimes it’s just easier to enjoy the surfaces where it’s harder to play but you have more freedom to make mistakes and accept them. It depends,” Świątek confessed, revealing the constant tug-of-war between expectation and freedom.

She later expanded with a sharper honesty. “Every month is different. I can play on every surface if I feel good in my game and in my head. I feel confident. I’ll try to play good throughout the whole year,” she explained. It was the voice of a champion still learning how to carry the crown, finding ways to balance dominance with durability.

(More to come…)

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