Iga Świątek is not back, because the tennis she wants to play never left her. Can she find it?
Świątek, the six-time Grand Slam champion, has reconnected with a style of tennis she already knew, not brought in a whole new one.
Świątek’s season had been below expectations before Toronto. She won only 23 matches between winning Wimbledon in 2025 and the start of the Canadian Open, with her best result being a semifinal appearance at the Italian Open. At the Slams, Świątek’s best result was a quarterfinal at the Australian Open, where she fell to Rybakina. She lost to Marta Kostyuk in the fourth round of Roland Garros before losing to 21-year-old Alex Eala in the third round of Wimbledon in her title defense.
In April, Świątek added Francisco Roig, who spent two decades with Rafael Nadal’s coaching team, as a coach. She said she had been playing “too flat and too fast,” leading to risky decisions. But in the four months since adding Roig, she has shown more poise on the court.
“I feel like it’s already got more into my habit and it became more natural,” Świątek said. “That’s definitely how I want to play, to have this patience.”
Świątek had a calm practice three hours before the final. She went through her arsenal of shots with her coaches as her sports psychologist, Daria Abramowicz, watched and retrieved balls. After Świątek hit one last serve, she gave her team a thumbs-up and left the court.
Three hours later, she raised the championship trophy as Polish fans chanted her name inside Sobeys Stadium, the same court where she recorded a breakthrough victory over former world No. 1 Caroline Woznaicki in 2019. When the WTA rankings come out Monday, she will be No. 5. Her sights are now set on a second U.S. Open at the end of August, brimming with confidence from this win.