Iga Swiatek: "Maybe after I finish tennis, I'll go to University"

World No. 1 Iga Swiatek has expressed her desire to attend university once her tennis career comes to an end.

The 21-year-old recently revealed that she loves to study, has a thirst for knowledge, and misses the mental stimulation that school provides. All those things make her want to enroll at a university at some point in her life.

Swiatek is currently playing the 2023 Madrid Open, where she aims to win her first WTA 1000 title of the season. The top seed comfortably advanced to the last 16 with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Bernarda Pera on Monday.

After her third-round win, Swiatek was interviewed by Prakash Amritraj on the Tennis Channel. Amritraj asked her where her thirst for learning came from, in light of the fact that she is often spotted reading books.

The Pole responded by affirming her love for education.

“I really like to learn, so I'm kind of still used to school, you know? I finished 2 years ago and miss just having some stimulation that way," Swiatek said.

"But on the other hand, I know I can't do much because my priority is tennis & my career so. I'm pretty sure that maybe after I finish, I will go to some university," she added.

Swiatek also revealed that studying has always been a significant part of her life, and that having finished school just two years ago, she misses it. The 21-year-old added that she is very curious about the world and tries to satiate that during her time off as she cannot afford to lose focus during tournaments and matches.

“I'm just curious about the world," she said. "And I sometimes have to stop being curious because I need to focus on tennis. And I'm trying to kind of still have that curiosity, maybe not during the matches & tournaments, but when I have time off.”

The No. 1 seed in Madrid will next take on No. 16 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova in the last 16.

Iga Swiatek has surpassed Serena Williams’ win percentage in clay WTA 1000 events

Iga Swiatek has the highest win % on clay at WTA 1000 events

A three-time Grand Slam champion at just 21 years of age, Iga Swiatek has added another record to her name. She now holds the highest win percentage on clay at WTA 1000 events, overtaking the legendary Serena Williams.

The Pole has now won 52 of 59 matches on clay at WTA 1000 events, with a win percentage of 88.2%. Williams follows her with 88% in second place, and Maria Sharapova with 82.1% in third.

Iga Swiatek successfully defended her Stuttgart title last week with an emphatic victory over No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka. She would be aiming to win her first Madrid Open title this week, and then defend her 2022 Italian Open title two weeks later.