Iga Swiatek reveals real reason behind why her father Tomasz pushed her to become a tennis player

Iga Swiatek was not the first Olympian in her family because her father was an athlete himself. Tomasz Swiatek was a competitive rower in his time and even took part in the Olympics in 1988 in Seoul.

When Swiatek competed at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, she became the second Swiatek to compete at the event. Her father was always a supportive figure in her sports adventure, though few know that he is the reason why she ended up pursuing tennis.

The Polish superstar was recently a guest on the Tennis Insider Podcast hosted by Caroline Garcia and her partner Borja Duran, and she talked about her father there, mentioning how pivotal he was for her ultimately ending up in tennis.

“It’s a tough topic because most of the stories he tells are about traveling and seeing the world but also about disappointments. For example, he was at the Olympics, but he was in the team. They were rowing in a four-person boat. He always had to rely on somebody, that’s why he chose tennis for us. We also tried swimming, but I was scared of water. I was kicked out of the team," Swiatek said about her father (2:17).

Ending up in tennis for Swiatek was largely based on her father's desire for his daughters to pursue an individual sport as opposed to a team-based one. She showed some decent talent early on in the sport, which is why she stuck with it.

"I'll be good" - Swiatek on the Australian Open

Swiatek's performance at the United Cup was largely very good, though it wasn't perfect by any means. Her 6-4, 6-4 loss against Coco Gauff in the final left many wondering about her chances at the Australian Open, especially since she dealt with an injury in the Elena Rybakina match previously.

The injury concern was shut down by Swiatek as mostly a fatigue issue, and after the loss against Gauff, she also basically dismissed any kind of worry by stating that she'll be good.

"I'll be good," Swiatek said after losing to Coco Gauff in the United Cup final (via rnz.co.nz).

The Australian Open has been a mixed bag for Swiatek in the past. She has played well at times, especially in 2022 when she made the semi-final, but other than that, it hasn't been the most impressive event for her. Much like Wimbledon, it's the Grand Slam where she hasn't made the final yet, and with the rise of other players and Sabalenka being a force, it remains to be seen whether 2025 will be any different.