Can Iga silence the noise and complete the career Slam?

(Getty/Cameron Spencer)

Iga Świątek is now just three matches away from completing the career Grand Slam. Having won four French Opens, a Wimbledon, and a US Open, the Australian Open is her final piece of the puzzle.

Świątek has reached the semi-finals in 2022 and 2025, and now it's former finalist Elena Rybakina standing in the way of another appearance in the semis. Their head-to-head stands at 6-5 for Świątek, but to her, that makes absolutely no difference once the two players step on court.

"I wouldn't say head-to-head matters, because even when one of us was winning, it was always a tight match, or she beat me easy," the Polish world No.2 said. "Doesn't make sense to overanalyse who won the last ones or how it has been looking. Every match is a different story. Every match is in different conditions."

"On every match, she's been a tough opponent, and her tennis for sure is great. I need to be 100 per cent ready and go for it and use my experience and also the knowledge from previous matches, and that's it."

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Interestingly though, while the career Grand Slam has to be a goal of Świątek, before the tournament began, she spoke about how i'’s not something that consumes her.

"I think you guys are thinking more about it," she told the media.

"No, I mean, honestly, since the beginning of the year, there are many people coming to me and talking to me about it. I'm really just focusing on day-by-day work. This is how it's always been for me. This is how I actually was able to achieve the success that I already have, just focusing really on grinding, match by match.

"Winning a Grand Slam is tough. A lot of things have to come together to do that. It's a tough tournament. So I have no expectations.

"Obviously it would be a dream come true. This is not my clear goal that I wake up with. I'm thinking more about how I want to play, what I want to improve day by day."

Świątek has a slightly up-and-down year so far, with Poland winning the United Cup, but dropping matches along the way to Coco Gauff and Belinda Bencic. However, the atmosphere around the United Cup is something that a lot of players, including Świątek, really enjoy to start the year off.

"I wouldn't say I played my best game in Sydney. For sure, losing singles is always not a good feeling. But on the other hand, I also had United Cup, where I won all the singles, and we still lost. I was really just trying to appreciate the moment and have the opportunity to be happy with the title, because at the end, this is a team event.

"Also, what happened off the court, like having good atmosphere, like having good bond between the players is a big part of that.

"I honestly had a lot of fun. I think it's a great thing for Polish tennis. Hopefully it's going to be remembered."

On her way to the quarter-finals in Melbourne, Świątek has had a relatively smooth ride, winning three of her four matches in straight sets. The one hiccup coming against Anna Kalinskaya in round three, where she dropped the second set 1-6. On that occasion, the six-time major champ was able to adjust quickly, reversing the scoreline in the decider.

In matches like that, Świątek is aware that momentum shifts happen, and the line between aggressiveness and patience can become blurred.

"It's not only up to me. It's also up to the opponent and how she plays. When I have the chance, I will always try to be proactive and go for the shots. I don't want to push. When I have a chance, I'll go for it," she confirmed.

"It's not like we can both do it [be aggressive] at the same time. So for me, the balance is using my opportunities.

"In tennis, you're going to be in both situations, so you kind of need to adjust to what also comes from the other side of the net."

Aggression and variety are something Świątek has been consistent about working on. Tennis has so many different tactics and nuances, meaning there is always something to improve on. During her tenure with coach Wim Fisette, variety has been an important part of the training, despite not always having the time to work on everything.

It perhaps goes to show that having a longer pre-season for players might result in some vastly different tactics and techniques for the top players, as they would have the time to dig a little deeper into their bag of tricks.

"Honestly, in tennis, it's changing day by day. You need to adjust to that and always be ready," she said.

"I don't want it to be said that I'm an offensive player or a defensive player. Honestly, if you want to be at the top, you need to have both.

"I can use more slice, I can go in the net much, much more. I've been doing that more, but sometimes I'm still kind of rusty, or I'm using more of my patterns instead of searching for something new.

"For sure, Wim is encouraging me to do that. On the other hand, it's not like we always have time to practice this stuff.

"I think if I would have six months off, I would honestly learn a lot. But since I always need to prepare for a tournament, I kind of go with what I have and just try to improve that as much as possible week by week."

It's easy to forget that Świątek is still only 24-years-old. With 25 WTA titles, she's already a lock for the Hall of Fame. What she could achieve in the next decade is anyone's guess, but it seems certain that Świątek will keep pushing to improve and adapt her game in order to stay at the top for as long as possible.

For now, she's three matches away from a career Grand Slam, and whether or not it consumes her thinking, it will surely be a big celebration should she get there.

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