Swiatek buoyed by progress after toughest season

Iga Swiatek describes what she calls the toughest season of her career, citing a challenging first half that included a quarterfinal at the Australian Open, a fourth-round exit at Roland Garros, and a third-round departure at Wimbledon, followed by a resurgence as she claimed the Canadian Open title to boost confidence ahead of the US Open. The six-time Grand Slam champion has slipped to eighth in the rankings but has continued her streak of reaching at least one Grand Slam final or title annually since 2020, with the Canadian victory signifying progress and a return to form. She attributes the rough patch to changes in coaching, notably bringing in Francisco Roig, and notes that reduced practice time was offset by a longer training block that helped implement new work. Swiatek says the last two events, particularly the Canadian and Cincinnati Opens, have been very positive, including a high-level semifinal against Jessica Pegula that reinforced her belief in her game. As she eyes her first major title of the year at the US Open, she remains focused on sustaining the improvements and maintaining her consistency across tournaments.