Iga Swiatek has admitted her answer on the topic of retirement “actually changes a bit” because it is difficult to predict what situation she will be in “in five or 10 years.”
The Polish star divulged she will “probably play for a long time” as she is “the kind of person who likes to finish what I start” but recognised that “people change.”
Swiatek, who only turned 22 in May this year, has already hit remarkable heights in her career so far – winning four Grand Slam titles and reaching world No 1. She has won 17 WTA titles overall, including six WTA 1000 tournaments.
The three-time French Open champion finished as WTA year-end No 1 and was named as the WTA player of the year in both 2022 and 2023 after two superb seasons.
Swiatek claimed a tour-leading six titles in 2023, including the WTA Finals in Cancun in her last event, as she compiled a brilliant 68-11 (86.1%) record.
The 22-year-old’s maiden victory at the year-end championships saw her overtake rival Aryna Sabalenka to reclaim the world No 1 ranking.
The Pole had lost top spot to Sabalenka after the US Open in September, where she fell to Jelena Ostapenko in the fourth round. Her initial 75-week streak as world No 1 was the third-longest in WTA history for a first-time No 1, behind Steffi Graf and Martina Hingis.
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She ended 2023 on an 11-match winning streak – losing just one set during this run – having also claimed the WTA 1000 title in Beijing in October.
Speaking in an interview with Grupa PZU, Swiatek offered an honest reflection on her career plans when she was asked about retirement.
“I thought about it, but I admit that the answer to this question actually changes a bit. And with that, I don’t know how tired I feel of nature. I admit that I don’t analyse it too much because I don’t know what situation I will be in, for example, in five or 10 years. It’s hard to predict, really,” the Pole said.
“I’m the kind of person who likes to finish what I start, so I’ll probably play for a long time. But as I say, people change, life paths are different and you don’t know what will happen in 10 years. That’s why I don’t think about it at all. For now, I’m focusing on getting some good training tomorrow.”
