Iga Swiatek won’t have forgotten that, at Australian Open 2025, she was a point away from reaching her first final at Melbourne Park.
It’s this narrow loss, followed by a season of professional growth and historic achievements, that could set her up for ultimate success when she returns for AO 2026.
Swiatek’s 5-7 6-1 7-6[10-8] semifinal loss to Madison Keys at the last AO came amid what was considered a slump in the Polish superstar’s career. From the start of 2022, a season when she ascended to the top of the sport, to when she won her third straight Roland Garros title in 2024, Swiatek reached 22 singles finals, winning 18.
But after that 2024 triumph in Paris, it would be almost 13 months before she appeared in another final – a drought she very nearly broke when she held match point against Keys deep in that third set. While many concerned themselves over this perceived backslide, she wasn’t far off the stratospheric level she’d maintained for the better part of three years.
At Roland Garros in 2025, she was a set away from a fourth consecutive final before falling to irrepressible world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka. And at her very next event, on grass in Bad Homburg, she reached that long-awaited final, setting the stage for what was to unfold at Wimbledon.
There, Swiatek triumphed in one of the most emphatic displays of her career. She dropped one set in seven matches, winning her final 20 consecutive games as she overwhelmed Belinda Bencic and Amanda Anisimova, respectively, in the semis and final.
What’s more, it came on a surface where her game never seemed the most natural fit, at a tournament many observers felt she may never win.
Now with six Grand Slam titles across all three surfaces, she’s set up for a shot at a glittering career Grand Slam at Australian Open 2026.