{"id":727188,"date":"2026-06-26T12:35:12","date_gmt":"2026-06-26T12:35:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/727188\/"},"modified":"2026-06-26T12:35:12","modified_gmt":"2026-06-26T12:35:12","slug":"iga-swiatek-is-the-most-rock-n-roll-player-on-tour","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/727188\/","title":{"rendered":"Iga \u015awi\u0105tek Is the Most Rock \u2019n\u2019 Roll Player on Tour"},"content":{"rendered":"

When the vocal hook of Bon Jovi\u2019s \u201cYou Give Love a Bad Name\u201d jumps out of silence, and listeners are ambushed by Richie Sambora\u2019s signature lead guitar, you might think you\u2019ve been transported to the 1986 Slippery When Wet tour. But you aren\u2019t at a night club in New Jersey. You\u2019re in World No. 3 Iga \u015awi\u0105tek\u2019s pre-match playlist as she steps through the tunnel at the All England Club to defend her major title at Wimbledon<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The 25-year-old phenomenon and six-time major champion, isn\u2019t exactly known as a rock-n-roll kind of player. If \u015awi\u0105tek is laying down a vibe, it\u2019s less Novak Djokovic\u2019s expressiveness and more Roger Federer\u2019s stoicism. She\u2019s quiet on the court, locked-in and reserved. But among the top player rankings in the world, \u015awi\u0105tek has been a mainstay since 2022 when she first reached World No. 1.\u00a0<\/p>\n

That year she racked up an incredible 37-game winning streak, the longest run for a WTA player this century. As it turns out, streaks are kind of \u015awi\u0105tek\u2019s thing. She has a total 125 weeks at World No. 1, the most of any current player on tour. Now that\u2019s pretty rock-n-roll.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u015awi\u0105tek says what she loves about gritty and rebellious rock bands is: \u201cThe energy. I love listening to this kind of music before the match; it’s really the best way for me to get pumped up.\u201d And this week, at Wimbledon, tracks like, \u201cT.N.T\u201d by AC\/DC or \u201cCan\u2019t Stop\u201d by the Red Hot Chili Peppers will be bringing the energy she needs. Afterall, a big moment requires a big song.\u00a0<\/p>\n

(See her full pre-match playlist, here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

Defending her\u00a0title at Wimbledon comes at a unique time in \u015awi\u0105tek\u2019s career. An early exit from the Australian Open in January followed by a quarterfinal loss at Indian Wells were disappointing, but a stunning defeat at the Miami Open to World No. 50 Magda Linette in the opening round was a crushing blow. Linette broke one of \u015awi\u0105tek\u2019s longest winning streaks: She hadn\u2019t dropped an opening match since 2021. That\u2019s 73 consecutive tournaments. After the loss, \u015awi\u0105tek said in a press conference, \u201cIt was the worst nightmare a tennis player can have.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Iga<\/p>\n

Defending her title at Wimbledon comes at a unique time in \u015awi\u0105tek\u2019s career as she is arguably experiencing the first real slump as a pro. | Robert Prange\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

She\u2019s arguably experiencing the first real slump in her professional career. And when she defends her title on grass, she\u2019s contending not only with a string of tough results, but also the mounting pressure of proving her game is still one of the best in the WTA.<\/p>\n

\u015awi\u0105tek says music \u201chas often been a refuge, helping me deal with emotions, and it\u2019s absolutely essential to my energy on the court.\u201d She\u2019s also a book worm and loves the arts. She just saw Wicked. \u201cThis is the best kind of entertainment for me,\u201d says the young tennis star. \u201cI feel so struck by their talent\u2026 Every time I go to a show, I’m blown away.\u201d She adds: \u201cAnd they do this with so much joy on their faces, you know?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not surprising \u015awi\u0105tek mentions joy\u2014it\u2019s a feeling that\u2019s been elusive to the young phenom of late. Time to hit play on another of \u015awi\u0105tek\u2019s pre-match songs: Janis Joplin\u2019s \u201cKozmic Blues.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rock and Roll-and Garros<\/p>\n

\u201cRoland Garros is a different, a one-of-a-kind tournament for me because of the fact that I\u2019ve won it so many times,\u201d \u015awi\u0105tek says. She won the French Open four out of the past six years\u2014clay is truly her best surface.<\/p>\n

In 2020, when she was just 19 years old, she won it for the first time. She was ranked 54th in the world, and became the first player from Poland to ever win a major\u00a0 singles title. She was also the lowest ranked player to win at Roland Garros since the WTA rankings were introduced in 1975. \u015awi\u0105tek didn\u2019t drop a set the entire tournament. In 2022, she won her second French Open and her first World No. 1 ranking. She also gained a growing fan base and a string of nicknames\u2014that season, she was crowned the \u201cQueen of Clay.\u201d She wasn\u2019t just winning, she was going lights out.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u015awi\u0105tek became known for winning sets 6\u20130, or 6\u20131, known as \u201cbagels\u201d and \u201cbreadsticks.\u201d In 2022, she had a streak of 45 starchy sets in 76 matches. \u201cIga\u2019s bakery\u201d became a common phrase on the tour. That fall, she won the U.S. Open, defeating Ons Jabeur 6\u20132, 7\u20136. Not a bakery win, but proof that she could win big on the hard courts as well.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u015awi\u0105tek admits to being an overthinker. When her game is off two things tend to happen: She earns no free points from her serve and her baseline game assumes all the pressure. It causes unforced errors and she freezes between styles, unsure when to attack and when to be patient. She defaults to overanalyzing and then to overhitting. Games, sets and matches begin to fall. Joy gets further away.<\/p>\n

\"Rafa<\/p>\n

Before clay season this year, \u015awi\u0105tek switched to the longtime coach of her idol, Rafa Nadal (left). | Jamie Squire\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

But \u015awi\u0105tek says she loves the technical aspects of the sport and understanding where her game needs to improve: \u201cYou will feel great when you’re doing a good job on a practice court, it’s just a fun way to live life.\u201d She laughs, \u201cluckily in tennis there is always something to work on.\u201d<\/p>\n

This year, before the start of the clay season, she sought joy, perspective and technique in a new coach.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She started working with Francisco Roig in April. Roig was the long-time coach of \u015awi\u0105tek\u2019s idol, Rafael Nadal. She and Nadal have an obvious kinship as dominant players on clay. In pursuit of more alignment with the kind of tennis she envisioned herself playing, \u015awi\u0105tek went to Mallorca to train at Nadal\u2019s facility in the spring. \u201cIt was a positive reset because it reminded me a little bit more about the passion that I have for tennis,\u201d she says. \u201cRafa is a walking example of passion.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u015awi\u0105tek says, \u201cI told Rafa, I\u2019m really ready to reset, start a new process. He told me that it\u2019s normal [to struggle]. That there are months where you don\u2019t feel so good or don\u2019t feel so confident and the only way to go is forward.\u201d Rafa told her even the biggest champions go through hard times. \u201cHearing that from a player like Rafa was really calming.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

While \u015awi\u0105tek admits that changing coaches right before the clay season was challenging, she\u2019s also really happy with the impact it made to her game. \u201cIt\u2019s a tough thing to do in such a short amount of time, but I think as a team we managed everything really great. I started the clay-court season with Francis and it was really an exciting time for me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

They worked on the kind of technical elements \u015awi\u0105tek loves to unpack: a higher stance and implementing more patience when pressure is building at the baseline. She had to retire from Madrid due to illness but says Rome was a \u201creally positive tournament. I had more patience and made better decisions on the court.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

At the French Open, \u015awi\u0105tek has a 43\u20134 lifetime record. This year, she made it past Linette in the third round and was ultimately defeated by Marta Kostyuk in the fourth. But her game has started to shine again. Her forehand fired up and she played smart. Instead of trying to outhit the big hitters, she was patient, using bounce and topspin to send vicious returns.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Drowning out the noise\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u015awi\u0105tek says a championship mindset means staying committed to progress. \u201cTo me,\u201d she says, \u201ca champion is someone who never gives up. Even though there will be some tough moments, they\u2019re able to get back out there and fight.\u201d She\u2019s looking for an energy, a track, a vibe that will help her keep a perspective on her game that she\u2019s fought hard to achieve in a tough year. \u201cThese moments are actually where the coolest, like goosebumps stories happen,\u201d she says. \u201cWhen someone\u2019s able to overcome their obstacles.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

(It might be a good time to fire up \u201cDon\u2019t Stop Me Now\u201d by Queen.)<\/p>\n

\"Iga<\/p>\n

\u015awi\u0105tek made it to the fourth round at Roland Garros this year. | Ian MacNicol\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

\u015awi\u0105tek says it\u2019s hard when the world judges a player only on results, but that she understands: \u201cOn one hand, I understand because [as] a fan I would also watch matches and maybe judge. Because sport is a kind of entertainment and obviously I want to do this and bring people joy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joy again.\u00a0<\/p>\n

When things get hard, \u015awi\u0105tek tries to stay connected to what she calls, \u201ccore Iga.\u201d It includes music (obviously), books, seeing plays, travel and cats. She says off the court she is \u201csillier than people might think.\u201d One thing that stands out about \u015awi\u0105tek: She always circles back to perspective and how lucky she is to be here.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She recently started the Iga \u015awi\u0105tek Scholarship Foundation, providing support to athletes from Poland. \u201cI wanted to use my experience and my situation to help these athletes and to support them,\u201d she says. \u201cBecause I know how hard it is.\u201d Her scholarship program has its first athletes this year.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u015awi\u0105tek says she doesn\u2019t listen to rock music all the time and for good reason: \u201cI have a lot going on in my head. It would be too much noise.\u201d When she\u2019s unplugged she turns to quiet B-sides and a more balanced vibe. \u201cDay to day, I\u2019m a Taylor Swift or Olivia Dean kind of girl,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u015awi\u0105tek\u2019s favorite thing about Dean\u2019s most recent album won\u2019t surprise you from an athlete looking for balance and harmony in her game. \u201cThe best thing about the album she put out is that it\u2019s so consistent. I know it\u2019s just like 35 minutes but you can put it on the loop and it\u2019s so good. There are no bad songs.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u015awi\u0105tek will still be rocking when she steps onto the court at All England Club, but she hopes it\u2019s her opponents who will be on the receiving end of giving \u201clove\u201d a bad name. It just might be that song from her playlist that inspires a few more orders from Iga\u2019s bakery.<\/p>\n

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