Iga Swiatek kicked off her season with a hard-fought win over Eva Lys at the United Cup, coming from behind to secure the victory.
The world number two dropped the opening set to Lys but battled back to take the next two and claim the point for Poland.
Swiatek came into the event with an impressive track record, and Poland’s chances were further boosted by Hubert Hurkacz’s straight-sets win over Alexander Zverev.
Swiatek has made it clear that she’s aiming to take back the world number one ranking in 2026. Greg Rusedski recently shared his thoughts on what it might take for her to achieve that goal.
Rusedski suggests serving adjustment for Swiatek
While Rusedski had plenty of positive things to say about Swiatek’s season, he did point out a few specific areas she could look to improve.
Speaking on Off-Court with Greg, he said: “Winning Wimbledon was huge for her last year, but I have a feeling she is aiming to win the French Open again.
“That was a major disappointment for her because she was trying to get records like Rafa in that tournament,” Rusedski added.
“The comparisons with her being the Rafa of the women’s game and dominating at Roland Garros for years to come, so losing to Sabalenka was so tough. Last year was a bounce-back year for Iga. She had a lot to deal with the year previously, as the sleeping tablets she took were a little bit different and that’s why she had a difficult period for a month, but I expect her to bounce back well.”
The former British number one also touched on Swiatek’s serve, offering some insight into how he might tweak it.
“With her serve, you need to get her tossing arm up a little bit higher. The elbow is almost too high at times and then she can’t get around the ball and slice it. That’s a little technical change she needs to do.
“It’s very difficult. Her forehand is one of the best in the business, but if you are going up against someone hitting the ball hard and you have that extreme grip, it can be difficult. But she is a phenomenal mover and that’s why she defends it so well with her athleticism.”
Swiatek won’t return until February after taking some time off following United Cup participation.
Swiatek has historically struggled in Australia
Swiatek heads into this year’s Australian Open with just one previous title to her name in the country, which came at the Adelaide International back in 2021.
The 22-year-old Swiatek defeated Belinda Bencic in straight sets to lift the title and she will be looking for a repeat of that level of performance when the Australian Open kicks off next week.
The furthest she has ever gone at the first Grand Slam of the year is two semi-finals. Swiatek made it to that stage in both 2022 and last year, losing out to Danielle Collins and then Madison Keys, who went on to win it.
And while she would love to add another piece of silverware there, her biggest focus remains returning to the top spot of women’s tennis.
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