For a player as dominant as Iga Swiatek, there is simply no room for complacency on an ever-evolving WTA Tour. Three years ago, a 185 km/h serve would have been a game-changer in women’s tennis. Today, according to Swiatek, it’s just the starting point in a sport whose players are rapidly moving from strength to strength.

The six-time Grand Slam champion believes the 2026 WTA season is wide open, with the gap between the top players growing smaller by the month.“I think finishing as No. 2 is a great achievement,” Swiatek said in an interview with CLAY, also published by RG Media. “You could really see it during the WTA Finals, basically any of us could have won the tournament, and we played so many tight matches. Some players clearly prefer certain conditions or feel better at different times of the season, but overall, I think we’re all improving at a really fast pace.”

Iga Świątek then reflected on how women’s tennis has evolved, especially when it comes to power – serving has become a major weapon, much like it has been on the men’s tour. She noted that, “If I had served at 185 kilometers per hour three years ago, I think it would have changed everything, it would have been incredible.” Now, however, it’s different.

As she put it, “Now (that) I actually learned to do that, I realised that girls are serving 195. It’s obviously not only about the speed. It is just an example, but I think tennis is evolving and we’re all presenting a pretty good level now.”

According to her, the depth of talent means everyone is pushing each other, and the game is evolving faster than ever.

Iga Swiatek will now begin her Australian summer by representing Poland at the United Cup, where she hopes to improve on the team’s most recent showing. On an individual level, she is also chasing a career Grand Slam, just like Carlos Alcaraz on the men’s side, as she aims to win her first Australian Open title after semifinal exits in 2022 and 2025.

For a player who has conquered Paris, London, and New York, what’s the mental block in Melbourne? The final piece of the career Grand Slam puzzle often weighs heaviest, but for Iga Swiatek, the strategy is to ignore the picture on the box entirely.

Inside Iga Swiatek’s mental game ahead of the 2026 Australian open

In her recent interview with CLAY, Iga Swiatek opened up about her mindset when it comes to chasing a career Grand Slam. While she admits it is “something that I dream of,” she made it clear that she doesn’t arrive in Melbourne consumed by that thought. Instead of fixating on history, she prefers to keep her focus grounded in the present.

The 24-year-old stressed that her approach is built around the process, not the end result. “I don’t set goals like that,” she said. “Obviously it’s something that I dream of and something that I want to happen one day but I’m not going to come to Melbourne and think about it every day.

“I know that there’s seven matches to win and the Grand Slams are two weeks, a lot can happen,” continued Swiatek. “So I’m really going to just take it step by step. Just focusing on the pre-season well is the key, and then I’ll see. But for sure, it would be a dream come true.”

And that same philosophy was on display during her Wimbledon run earlier this year. After beating Belinda Bencic to reach the final, she was asked about joining the rare group of players who have won Grand Slams on every surface. Her response was telling, as she said it “wasn’t really a goal” and something she never even thought would be possible.

Later, Iga Swiatek also explained that she applies this mindset to her yearly planning. She doesn’t wake up thinking, “I’m going to win three Grand Slams this year,” but instead sets what she calls “more down-to-earth goals.” So, by training day by day and focusing on steady improvement, she believes this approach has always worked best for her.

Earlier this year, she came agonizingly close to an Australian Open final, losing to Madison Keys in the semifinals despite holding a match point against the eventual champion. So now, with six Grand Slam titles already to her name (four at Roland Garros, plus wins at the US Open and Wimbledon), the Australian Open remains the only missing piece.

If she lifts the trophy in Melbourne, she would become just the eighth woman in the Open Era to complete the Career Grand Slam. That said, can Iga Swiatek’s process-first mindset finally help her conquer the Australian Open in 2026? What do you think?