Iga Swiatek, the world No. 2 and five-time Grand Slam champion, launched her 2025 European clay season with a commanding performance at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, dismantling Croatia’s Jana Fett 6-2, 6-2 in the second round on April 16, 2025. The Polish superstar, a two-time defending champion at the WTA 500 event, revealed the secret behind her effortless victory: an unwavering love for the game that fuels her relentless drive. In a post-match interview, Swiatek shared insights into her mindset, crediting her inner energy and motivation as key ingredients to her success. “For sure, you need a lot of inner energy and a lot of motivation to get out every week and play as good as you can,” she said, emphasizing that her performance transcends mere technique. “For sure, it’s not only about technique and tennis.”
Swiatek, seeded second, received a first-round bye and faced Fett, a qualifier ranked No. 135, in her opening match. The 23-year-old Pole showcased her clay-court prowess, leveraging her signature topspin and relentless baseline aggression to overpower Fett in just over an hour. Her 94% first-serve point win rate and precise shot-making left little room for counterplay, marking a stark contrast to her recent upset loss to Alexandra Eala at the Miami Open. Stuttgart, with its fast indoor clay, suits Swiatek’s game perfectly, as she noted its role as a “great transition between hard court and clay.” Her tactical approach, honed through years of dominance on the surface, involves moving opponents around and capitalizing on the court’s speed, a strategy she’s perfected in her previous title runs in 2022 and 2023.
The match was more than a routine win—it was a statement of intent. Swiatek’s preparation included her trusty notebook, a tool that’s become a hallmark of her meticulous approach. During the 2024 Italian Open, she revealed its contents: “I just write my tactics there and also some keywords that I want to remember when I sometimes struggle,” she explained. These notes, filled with technical and tactical cues, help her stay focused under pressure, a practice mirrored by players like Naomi Osaka and Mirra Andreeva. Against Fett, Swiatek’s clarity was evident as she dictated rallies and converted break points with surgical precision, advancing to the quarterfinals to face either Emma Navarro or Jelena Ostapenko.
Swiatek’s love for tennis, sparked by her desire to outshine her older sister, has evolved into a deep passion that sustains her through the sport’s grueling demands. “I think you have to be in love with what you do to be really good at it,” she said in Stuttgart, reflecting on the emotional fuel behind her 22 WTA titles, including four French Open crowns and a US Open. Her 2024 season, which saw her go 21-1 on clay with titles in Madrid, Rome, and Roland Garros, underscores her dominance, though a semifinal loss to Elena Rybakina in Stuttgart last year ended her 10-match win streak there. This year, Swiatek is determined to reclaim the title and the iconic Porsche prize, a goal that aligns with her ambition to solidify her legacy.
Off the court, Swiatek’s connection to her Polish roots and her advocacy for causes like Ukrainian relief—she raised over half a million euros in 2022—add depth to her persona. Her father, a former Olympic rower, instilled a competitive spirit that shines through in moments like her Stuttgart opener. As she prepares for a potential clash with Ostapenko, a player she’s faced in heated battles, Swiatek’s focus remains on consistency. “Tactically, you just have to play fast as well and move your opponent around,” she said, a mantra that encapsulates her game plan. With her notebook in hand and passion in her heart, Swiatek is poised to make another deep run in Stuttgart, captivating fans and inching closer to tennis immortality.