In The Players’ Tribune, ‘introverted’ Iga Swiatek opens up on fame and self-image

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On the eve of the Australian Open, all eyes are tournament favorite Iga Swiatek—a genuine nightmare scenario for the self-proclaimed introvert.

She might be the oddsmakers’ overwhelming favorite in Melbourne, but Swiatek recently revealed that, despite her dominant winning streak and trophy hauls, the Pole still has trouble accepting her spot at the top of the WTA’s elite.

In a column for The Players’ Tribune, the world No. 1 reflected on her role as Poland’s history maker, how she deals with fame and attention as an introvert, and why Ashleigh Barty’s retirement announcement left her rattled.

“There was a time in my life when I was so introverted that speaking to people was a real challenge,” Swiatek writes. “Until I was 17 or 18, it was hard sometimes to look people in the eyes. I hated how hard it was for me.

“It felt really bad not being able to make connections. But with some people, my mind was just blank, and I didn’t know what to say. Small talk wasn’t natural to me.

“My story isn’t like a lot of other athletes, and that’s okay.”

Swiatek also opened up on her childhood experiences as an aspiring tennis player from Poland, a country that had never had a Grand Slam champion in singles. The 21-year-old has been outspoken about how the lack of opportunities within the sport—from funding as a junior to wild cards into pro events—affected her career.

“I never really believed that it actually was going to be possible for me to win a Grand Slam or be world No. 1, because I’m not from a country with a long tradition of playing tennis,” Swiatek writes.

“When I looked at how many people actually succeeded in tennis in Poland not so long ago, it was only Agnieszka Radwanska really, so I just didn’t think it’d be possible.”

Fast-forward a few years, and Swiatek has now proven that it’s not just possible, but achievable. During a record-breaking 2022 season, she wrote her name into Poland’s tennis history books by winning eight titles—including two Grand Slam trophies—amassing a 35-match winning streak and rising to WTA world No. 1.

The latter came as a result of Barty's sudden retirement, news that Swiatek said initially made her cry out of confusion for the 25-year-old Aussie. Now, she realizes, it was in the realization she too was in control of her own career—and, like Barty, could call it quits at any time—that brought on the emotions.

"There are these ideas that we have in ourselves as players that come from our parents and tennis and media and all this about how an athlete should be," she writes. "But when I saw Ash, I was like, Wow, you can choose to do this differently.

"While you’re on this journey, striving for excellence, you can sometimes say, 'Okay, that’s enough.' You’re in control, the whole way. No one else is driving the car."

The top seed at the Australian Open, Swiatek will face Jule Niemeier in her first-round match.