Iga Swiatek given candid advice from former British No 1 as he predicts her big target for 2026
Iga Swiatek had a curious 2025 season that featured more lows than highs, but she declared she was satisfied with a year that included her first victory at Wimbledon.
Swiatek was dethroned as world No 1 by her long-time rival Aryna Sabalenka and she suffered an unexpectedly poor run of results on her favoured clay courts amid a slump in confidence.
After struggling on grass courts in previous years, she stormed through the draw at Wimbledon and beat Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 in an alarmingly one-sided women’s final at the All England Club to claim her sixth Grand Slam title.
Now she will be heading to Melbourne looking to lift her first Australian Open title and complete her set of Grand Slam titles, which would allow her to join the list of the game’s all-time greats.
Now former British No 1 Greg Rusedski has given his candid verdict on Swiatek, as he predicted her focus for the 2026 season will be on reclaiming her title as the queen of clay courts.
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“Winning Wimbledon was huge for her last year, but I have a feeling she is aiming to win the French Open again,” said Rusedski, in an exclusive clip released to Tennis365 from Episode 4 of his new podcast, Off Court with Greg, which will be released on Monday.
“(Losing at Roland Garros) was a major disappointment for her because she was trying to get records like Rafa (Nadal) in that tournament.
“The comparisons with her being the Rafa of the women’s game and dominating at Roland Garros for years to come, so losing to Sabalenka was so tough.
“Last year was a bounce back year for Iga. She had a lot to deal with the year previously, as the sleeping tablets she took were a little bit different and that’s why she had a difficult period for a month, but I expect her to bounce back well.”
Swiatek had some troubles with her serve and opponents began to break down her forehand successfully in the 2025 season, with Rusedski offering up some technical advice on how the Polish star can make improvements on that shot.
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“With her serve, you need to get her tossing arm up a little bit higher,” added Rusedski, who had one of the biggest serves in the men’s game during his time at the top.
“The elbow is almost too high at times and then she can’t get around the ball and slice it. That’s a little technical change she needs to do. It’s very difficult.
“Her forehand is one of the best in the business, but if you are going up against someone hitting the ball hard and you have that extreme grip, it can be difficult, but she is a phenomenal mover and that’s why she defends it so well with her athleticism.”
Swiatek is playing for Poland at the United Cup event this week and will then set her sights on finalising her preparations for her latest assault on the Australian Open title.
