"After winning my first Roland Garros title, I needed to grow up in a very short time and learn how to operate" - Iga Swiatek
World No. 1 Iga Swiatek has admitted that she is learning the trade of managing her tennis career alongside her business life.
The Pole broke into prominence after winning her maiden Slam title at Roland Garros in 2020. Speaking on the difficulty of balancing tennis and business, Iga Swiatek elaborated on the importance of building a good team for both tennis and business. She added that she had to "grow up" very quickly after her first Major victory in order to take care of her business and sporting responsibilities.
"I'm still learning in both areas, tennis and business. It's important to have balance in every area of my life and work. The business side gives me safety, it enables me to play tennis and be focused on that," Swiatek said.
"After winning my first Roland-Garros title, I needed to grow up in a very short time and learn how to operate when I have not only sports but business responsibilities, too. This is the reason why I built a team of sports and business professionals to have people I can trust on board. I would say I learned quite fast how to operate in both areas because I'm able to manage all the interviews, press conferences or photoshoots and it doesn't interfere with my sports performance," she added.
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The 21-year-old recently won her second French Open title in 2022 after beating Coco Gauff in the final in straight sets. She won six titles and 37 matches on the trot before losing to Alize Cornet in the third round of Wimbledon. In the process, Swiatek set the record for the most matches won consecutively this century.
"Tennis is the foundation of everything" - Iga Swiatek
The World No. 1 added that the sport, which has given her everything so far, is the center of focus for her. Swiatek feels the business side will take care of itself as her tennis career is on the right track.
"Tennis is a foundation of everything, and we all need to be on the same page. The business side works well when the sports side is balance and stable. This is our motto," Swiatek said.
"I don't need to rush, to have as many sponsors as possible," she added. "We're doing everything step by step, on and off the court."
After Swiatek's loss to Alize Cornet in the third round of Wimbledon, the Pole took part in her home tournament, the Poland Open, where she lost to Caroline Garcia in the quarterfinals.
I gave my everything yesterday. Warsaw thank you for your support and atmosphere.
🙌 I gave my everything yesterday. Warsaw thank you for your support and atmosphere.
🙌 Wczoraj dałam z siebie wszystko. Warszawo, dziękuję za doping i atmosferę na trybunach.
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The Polish player will be in action at the Canadian Open this week before playing in Cincinnati ahead of the US Open, which begins on August 29 in New York.