After a difficult start to 2026, Iga Świątek seems to be back to her best. Her Canadian Open title not only boosted her confidence but also helped her set a new record, as former ATP players John Isner and Steve Johnson discussed on the “Nothing Major” podcast while comparing her achievement with those of World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and Alexander Zverev.
Iga Świątek’s 12 WTA 1000 Titles Stun Steve Johnson and John Isner as They Compare Her to Sabalenka and Zverev
With her recent win, the 25-year-old moved ahead of Sabalenka for the second-most WTA 1000 titles since the format began in 2009, with Serena Williams holding the record with 13.
Johnson said that he expected the six-time Grand Slam winner to be much further ahead, given her long period of dominance, while wondering whether her earlier success was too focused on clay or whether the Belarusian had simply been dominant over the past few seasons.
Isner believes that the comparison shows how well Sabalenka has played in recent years, but he was stunned by Świątek’s total of 12 WTA 1000 titles. “Yeah, I think this shows Sabalenka how good she’s been the last three years, but I mean 12 1000 titles? That’s absurd. I would have guessed like six,” Isner said.
To show how big a deal this is, Isner compared the Pole to a top men’s player at the same level.
“I mean, we talk about Zverev. Zverev’s got seven, I think, right off the top of my head. And he’s so good at 1000 events, and 12 is a joke,” Isner said. He also added a warning for the rest of the tour before the US Open: “But you know, she’s back to playing her best tennis.”
This year, Świątek struggled with several early losses and even failed to make deep runs at WTA 1000 events and Grand Slams, apart from her semifinal run in Rome. In early April, she hired Rafael Nadal’s former coach, Francisco Roig, after parting ways with Wim Fissette.
MORE: ‘Tough To Turn Off the Iga Faucet’ – Roddick Sends Iga Świątek Warning Ahead of US Open
And on Thursday, she turned things around by winning her maiden Canadian Open title, beating World No. 2 Elena Rybakina 6-2, 6-3 in the Toronto final. It was Świątek’s first title of the year and the 26th WTA title of her career.
Currently, Świątek is in Cincinnati as the defending champion and No. 7 seed. She came from a set down to beat Maria Sakkari 4-6, 6-1, 6-1 in 1 hour and 58 minutes, reaching the fourth round. Next up, she will face Diane Parry.
