ŚWIĄTEK SHUTS DOWN WIMBLEDON RUMOURS: 'WHO SAID THAT?'

Iga Świątek appearing in her pre-tournament press conference ahead of the Italian Open. (Getty/Robert Prange)

Fronting the media for the first time in Rome ahead of the last WTA 1000 event on clay for 2025, Iga Świątek has strongly denied rumours linking her to an extended break.

The world No.2 suffered a crushing 6-1 6-1 loss against former US Open champion Coco Gauff in the semi-finals of the Madrid Open, reducing Świątek to tears during one of the changeovers with a towel over her head.

On that same weekend, Polish media outlet Przegląd Sportowy broke the news that the five-time major champion was likely to skip the grass court season, including Wimbledon, to help regroup mentally.

When asked to clarify those reports, Świątek responded with a question before firmly denying the gossip.

"Who said that? You shouldn't believe something like that," she said with a puzzled expression.

"In recent days, I've seen millions of comments that are not true. I don't understand it. There are so many theories right now, especially in Poland, and none of them are accurate. I don't know, sometimes you like to create articles that attract people. I understand, it's part of the job.

"Of course, I am not going to skip Wimbledon. I want to learn to play better on grass. Each year is a new opportunity for that. I will play Wimbledon, of course, as long as I am not injured."

The 23-year-old owns a shaky 11-5 win-loss record at Wimbledon main draw level, with her best appearance coming in the 2023 quarter-finals. However, she claimed the 2018 junior girls' title at the All England Club.

Since winning the French Open last June, the Polish superstar has failed to reach a final of any tournament, let alone claim a title.

But she explained part of the reason for her mental struggles.

"I have a love-hate relationship with my perfectionism," Świątek admitted. "When I come to the clay court tournaments, I reflect on how I see my game and how I saw it in past seasons.

"The thing is, I only remember the good from other years because I was winning titles. My mind only recalls the good. I make decisions that are not good at that moment just because I remember how I felt in this tournament in previous years. I assume they will be good, and that's where I make mistakes. It's not the same, so it confuses me."

Świątek awaits the winner of Elina Avanesyan and Italy's Elisabetta Cocciaretto in the second-round of Rome.

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