Iga Swiatek candidly displays on yr the place she 'was not a superhero'

Iga Swiatek possibly had a tough yr at instances and did not get the outcomes she focused however is attempting to be appreciative of all the things that occurred to her this season – good or unhealthy – and attempt to stay up for the subsequent challenges.

After beginning her Grand Slam season with a shock third-round exit on the Australian Open, the Pole bounced again by finishing a three-peat on the French Open. However then, one other early third-round loss got here at Wimbledon, earlier than the five-time Main winner additionally suffered a shock US Open quarterfinal defeat to Jessica Pegula.

On the Paris Olympics – the place she was by far the No. 1 favourite to win – Swiatek was completely crushed after stunningly shedding to Zheng Qinwen within the semifinal. Whereas the 23-year-old managed to win the bronze medal, it wasn’t a secret that she got here for the primary prize.

In late 2024, she additionally misplaced the world No. 1 spot to Aryna Sabalenka and didn’t defend her WTA Finals title.

In terms of her achievements, Swiatek gained a complete of 5 titles this yr, together with her largest success coming in the course of the clay season, when she made all of it the way in which in Madrid Rome and the French Open. Additionally, she had triumphant runs in Doha and Indian Wells early within the season.

This yr, the Polish star topped greater than 100 weeks on the world No. 1 spot as she is already seven on the all-time record with a complete of 125 weeks spent on the high spot. Additionally, she led Poland to their first Billie Jean King Cup semifinal.

On paper, it was nonetheless an excellent season. However with Aryna Sabalenka’s current rise and type, the sensation is that the Belarusian has changed Swiatek as the perfect participant on this planet.

Iga Swiatek© Iga Swiatek/Instagram – Truthful Use

“Thanks for this season. First and foremost I’m thanking myself and my team because it was another extraordinary year. It was the season of not being a superhero and accepting it, facing new challenges, grinding, hard work, appreciating milestones and unlocking new achievements,” the five-time Grand Slam champion mirrored in an Instagram put up.

“But what’s fundamental, I finish this year with huge satisfaction and pride of my grit, strength and everything that I’ve done and achieved which says more than any words. It’s time to rest and reset. My body and mind need that. Thank you to every kind and supportive human being who is by my side in this journey. See you soon.”

Swiatek gave all of it for Poland in Malaga

At this previous Billie Jean King Cup Finals, the world No. 2 left all of it to assist her nation make a powerful outcome.

After the Czech Republic gained the opening match of their quarterfinal tie, Swiatek survived a thriller towards Linda Noskova 7-6 (4) 4-6 7-5 to power a deciding match. In that deciding doubles match, she returned to the court docket as she and Katarzyna Kawa upset doubles world No. 1 Katerina Siniakova and Marie Bouzkova 6-2 6-4 to propel Poland into their first semifinal within the competitors.

“It’s superb that we’ve made historical past for Poland – a dream come true. I missed enjoying this occasion a few instances, however now I’ve the prospect to play I need to make an affect and do one thing nicely. I’m so blissful that I lastly bought the chance and this event is superb,” the former world No. 1 said after making Polish tennis history.

After leading her nation to a hard-fought win over the Czechs, Swiatek found herself in a tough task again after Italy opened an early lead in their semifinal matchup.

While the Polish tennis star managed to complete a 3-6 6-4 6-4 victory over Jasmine Paolini for another deciding match, Poland fell short after she and Kawa picked up a heartbreaking 5-7 5-7 loss.

Afterward, the 23-year-old said she felt tired like never before after spending nearly 11 hours on the court across five matches played in Malaga.

“I don’t think I’ll feel any strength tomorrow when I wake up; I feel like my whole body is sore. I definitely played some nice matches this week, although today I just tried to survive physically, but I’m happy that I kept my concentration in the two matches today even though in the previous round my game wasn’t as perfect. They were very close matches; it was nice to win the singles in crucial moments, that’s when I took advantage of my chances. Now I will start 2025 with new goals, I’m looking forward to it, as I didn’t have much time to train with Wim (Fissette), so it will be good to try out new things,” Swiatek stated.

The five-time Grand Slam champion will begin her 2025 season on the United Cup.