Iga Świątek is on a roll at the Italian Open, a tournament that she’s historically been exceptional at. It could be the tiramisu, it could be the clay, or it could very well be the fan support that she’s cherished immensely over the years, but the Pole makes sure she saves some of her best tennis for the tournament.
Her 2026 edition started with a rather complicated match against Caty McNally. After a 6-1 opener, the Pole fumbled in the second-set tiebreak, but eventually crossed the finish line with a 6-1, 7-6(5), 6-3 score.
It’s arguably been a walk in the park since then. Świątek hasn’t allowed her opponents more than three games, beating Elisabetta Cocciaretto 6-1, 6-0, Naomi Osaka 6-2, 6-1, and Jessica Pegula 6-1, 6-2 to reach the semifinals for the fourth time. Interestingly, she’s won the title every time she’s reached the stage (2021, 2022, and 2024).
Iga Świątek Opens Up About Enjoying Tennis in Rome
Świątek has been a force to be reckoned with ever since she won her first pro title at the 2020 French Open as a teenager. With 125 weeks as the World No. 1, she’s already placed seventh on the list of all-time greats.
Amid her generational success, though, the Pole has faced a slight slump, having previously admitted that she has felt ‘lost’ on court in recent times. After last year’s Indian Wells loss, she also admitted that she couldn’t remember the last time she played ‘freely’ and ‘relaxed.’
After her promising win against Pegula on Wednesday, May 13, I asked Świątek on behalf of PFSN whether she’s been rediscovering the joy in competing. The Pole responded, “Yeah, if you play well, if you feel the ball right, if you are doing the right things, it’s all clicking; it’s easy to enjoy. Yeah, I am enjoying.”
She, however, also touched upon the days she’s felt ‘terrible.’
“There are tournaments that you enjoy; there are tournaments where you feel you play terrible, not even play, but you overall feel terrible. You need to kind of accept it can happen and kind of move on,” she said, adding, “Work so you have opportunity to play good on the next one maybe. For sure I feel good here.”
The start to Świątek’s 2026 season has been less than ideal. She has yet to win a title. In fact, the Italian Open is her first semifinal of the year.
The 24-year-old is also looking to end her clay-court title drought, her most recent title on the surface being the 2024 French Open.
Ahead of the clay-court season, Świątek made a significant switch, replacing Wim Fissette with Rafael Nadal’s longtime mentor Francisco Roig. The pair’s partnership hasn’t yielded immediate results, but the Pole is optimistic about their bond.
Their first tournament was the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, where she reached the quarterfinals. At the Madrid Open that followed, Świątek’s run reached an abrupt end as she retired mid-match in the third-round match against Ann Li.
She would hope for a season-changing run as she awaits Elena Rybakina or Elina Svitolina in the semifinals of the Italian Open.
