A popular question posed to tennis players after they begin accumulating Grand Slam titles is some form of: What’s next?
What are your aims now? What do you want to accomplish? How many of these major championships can you collect?
When it comes to Iga Swiatek, there is not much point in asking, although there were attempts Saturday night after she beat Karolina Muchova 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 in what turned into a riveting French Open final.
That victory made Swiatek the owner of four Slam trophies, including three at Roland Garros. Just making it to the last match of the tournament assured her of maintaining her grip on the No. 1 ranking, where she’s been since April 2022.
“I don’t think I need any idea. I’ll just go forward, you know?” Swiatek said. “My whole career, I've tried to — if you’re talking about wins — just win as much as possible, obviously. ... I don’t think we all know what our limits are unless we’re done or we’re really mature. But I’m 22, so I literally don’t know what my limits are. I don’t know what to tell you.”
She chuckled a bit as she said that last part.
It makes sense for her to maintain that point of view. No reason to attempt a guess at where her path might lead.
Especially because giving voice to that sort of speculation probably would only serve to do the very thing she says causes her problems: increased expectations and pressure.
From herself. And from others.
Expectations that she’ll keep winning as much as she has lately. Pressure to live up to the sort of results she already has produced — and to exceed them.
Asked Saturday how many more of these big events she can win, Swiatek deflected.
“I’m not really looking that far. I’m just happy with what happened during these past few weeks. I don’t know what I’m kind of capable of,” she said. “So, I will work day by day to play the best game possible and to develop as a player. I’m not setting any of these crazy records or goals for myself. I know that keeping it cool is the best way to do it for me. I’m trying more to do that.”
As good as she already is, as much as she already has done, Swiatek speaks often about being burdened by what that brings.
“I feel like I should win,” is the way she put it.
Perhaps hearing herself say that, she added this right away: “I should feel more fearless here.”
Absolutely true.
She has won the last two French Opens, something no woman had done since Justine Henin went back to back to back from 2005-07, and three of the past four.
“We can well imagine her winning the trophy many more times,” said Amelie Mauresmo, a two-time major champion and former No. 1 herself, who now is the tournament director in Paris.
“She is mentally very strong, she moves remarkably well, she slides very well on clay,” Mauresmo said. “I think her game is very complete for this surface.”
On Saturday, Swiatek was terrific from the get-go, hoarding 12 of the first 15 points and going up by a set and 3-0 in the second, before Muchova found her rhythm and made a match of it.
Then, when Muchova was in fine form, enough to lead by a break at 4-3 in the third set, Swiatek began thinking less and playing on instinct more.
That was that — she won the last three games and the championship.
“To play against her, you have to be ready. The balls are coming fast. She’s not doing any easy mistakes, and you always know that (if) you have a chance ... you have to take it, because maybe there is no other chance,” Muchova said. “Yeah, that’s why she’s world No. 1, and you have to bring your best performance to be able to beat her.”
Muchova could not quite do that.
No opponent has so far in a Grand Slam final: Swiatek is 4-0 in those most important matches, equaling the best start to a career by a woman.
Swiatek, less than two weeks past her 22nd birthday, is also the youngest woman to raise her major count to four since a certain someone by the name of Serena Williams did it shortly before turning 21 in 2002.
Swiatek might not want to say what she is capable of, but the signs sure do point to an answer: a lot.
