Iga Świątek Is the Most Rock ’n’ Roll Player on Tour

Although known for her stoicism, Świątek’s battle back to World No. 1 can sometimes feel like a “Highway to Hell.”

Iga Świątek has a warmup setlist filled with rock music that she says is the best way to pump herself up for a match. | Robert Prange/Getty Images

When the vocal hook of Bon Jovi’s “You Give Love a Bad Name” jumps out of silence, and listeners are ambushed by Richie Sambora’s signature lead guitar, you might think you’ve been transported to the 1986 Slippery When Wet tour. But you aren’t at a night club in New Jersey. You’re in World No. 3 Iga Świątek’s pre-match playlist as she steps through the tunnel at the All England Club to defend her major title at Wimbledon.

The 25-year-old phenomenon and six-time major champion, isn’t exactly known as a rock-n-roll kind of player. If Świątek is laying down a vibe, it’s less Novak Djokovic’s expressiveness and more Roger Federer’s stoicism. She’s quiet on the court, locked-in and reserved. But among the top player rankings in the world, Świątek has been a mainstay since 2022 when she first reached World No. 1. 

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 Świątek’s thing. She has a total 125 weeks at World No. 1, the most of any current player on tour. Now that’s pretty rock-n-roll. 

Świątek says what she loves about gritty and rebellious rock bands is: “The energy. I love listening to this kind of music before the match; it's really the best way for me to get pumped up.” And this week, at Wimbledon, tracks like, “T.N.T” by AC/DC or “Can’t Stop” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers will be bringing the energy she needs. Afterall, a big moment requires a big song. 

(See her full pre-match playlist, here.)

Defending her title at Wimbledon comes at a unique time in Świątek’s 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 Świątek’s longest winning streaks: She hadn’t dropped an opening match since 2021. That’s 73 consecutive tournaments. After the loss, Świątek said in a press conference, “It was the worst nightmare a tennis player can have.”

Defending her title at Wimbledon comes at a unique time in Świątek’s career as she is arguably experiencing the first real slump as a pro. | Robert Prange/Getty Images

She’s arguably experiencing the first real slump in her professional career. And when she defends her title on grass, she’s 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.

Świątek says music “has often been a refuge, helping me deal with emotions, and it’s absolutely essential to my energy on the court.” She’s also a book worm and loves the arts. She just saw Wicked. “This is the best kind of entertainment for me,” says the young tennis star. “I feel so struck by their talent… Every time I go to a show, I'm blown away.” She adds: “And they do this with so much joy on their faces, you know?” 

It’s not surprising Świątek mentions joy—it’s a feeling that’s been elusive to the young phenom of late. Time to hit play on another of Świątek’s pre-match songs: Janis Joplin’s “Kozmic Blues.”

Rock and Roll-and Garros

“Roland Garros is a different, a one-of-a-kind tournament for me because of the fact that I’ve won it so many times,” Świątek says. She won the French Open four out of the past six years—clay is truly her best surface.

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  singles title. She was also the lowest ranked player to win at Roland Garros since the WTA rankings were introduced in 1975. Świątek didn’t 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—that season, she was crowned the “Queen of Clay.” She wasn’t just winning, she was going lights out. 

Świątek became known for winning sets 6–0, or 6–1, known as “bagels” and “breadsticks.” In 2022, she had a streak of 45 starchy sets in 76 matches. “Iga’s bakery” became a common phrase on the tour. That fall, she won the U.S. Open, defeating Ons Jabeur 6–2, 7–6. Not a bakery win, but proof that she could win big on the hard courts as well. 

Świątek 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.

Before clay season this year, Świątek switched to the longtime coach of her idol, Rafa Nadal (left). | Jamie Squire/Getty Images

But Świątek says she loves the technical aspects of the sport and understanding where her game needs to improve: “You will feel great when you're doing a good job on a practice court, it's just a fun way to live life.” She laughs, “luckily in tennis there is always something to work on.”

This year, before the start of the clay season, she sought joy, perspective and technique in a new coach. 

She started working with Francisco Roig in April. Roig was the long-time coach of Świątek’s 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, Świątek went to Mallorca to train at Nadal’s facility in the spring. “It was a positive reset because it reminded me a little bit more about the passion that I have for tennis,” she says. “Rafa is a walking example of passion.”

Świątek says, “I told Rafa, I’m really ready to reset, start a new process. He told me that it’s normal [to struggle]. That there are months where you don’t feel so good or don’t feel so confident and the only way to go is forward.” Rafa told her even the biggest champions go through hard times. “Hearing that from a player like Rafa was really calming.” 

While Świątek admits that changing coaches right before the clay season was challenging, she’s also really happy with the impact it made to her game. “It’s 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.” 

They worked on the kind of technical elements Świątek 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 “really positive tournament. I had more patience and made better decisions on the court.” 

At the French Open, Świątek has a 43–4 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. 

Drowning out the noise 

Świątek says a championship mindset means staying committed to progress. “To me,” she says, “a champion is someone who never gives up. Even though there will be some tough moments, they’re able to get back out there and fight.” She’s looking for an energy, a track, a vibe that will help her keep a perspective on her game that she’s fought hard to achieve in a tough year. “These moments are actually where the coolest, like goosebumps stories happen,” she says. “When someone’s able to overcome their obstacles.” 

(It might be a good time to fire up “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen.)

Świątek made it to the fourth round at Roland Garros this year. | Ian MacNicol/Getty Images

Świątek says it’s hard when the world judges a player only on results, but that she understands: “On 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.”

Joy again. 

When things get hard, Świątek tries to stay connected to what she calls, “core Iga.” It includes music (obviously), books, seeing plays, travel and cats. She says off the court she is “sillier than people might think.” One thing that stands out about Świątek: She always circles back to perspective and how lucky she is to be here. 

She recently started the Iga Świątek Scholarship Foundation, providing support to athletes from Poland. “I wanted to use my experience and my situation to help these athletes and to support them,” she says. “Because I know how hard it is.” Her scholarship program has its first athletes this year. 

Świątek says she doesn’t listen to rock music all the time and for good reason: “I have a lot going on in my head. It would be too much noise.” When she’s unplugged she turns to quiet B-sides and a more balanced vibe. “Day to day, I’m a Taylor Swift or Olivia Dean kind of girl,” she says. 

Świątek’s favorite thing about Dean’s most recent album won’t surprise you from an athlete looking for balance and harmony in her game. “The best thing about the album she put out is that it’s so consistent. I know it’s just like 35 minutes but you can put it on the loop and it’s so good. There are no bad songs.”

Świątek will still be rocking when she steps onto the court at All England Club, but she hopes it’s her opponents who will be on the receiving end of giving “love” a bad name. It just might be that song from her playlist that inspires a few more orders from Iga’s bakery.

---