Iga Swiatek is a true cheerleader on her Wimbledon journey, recently advancing to round three after defeating Caty McNally 5-7, 6-2, 6-1. With Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula out in the first round, her path looks less daunting. Though she hasn’t claimed a title this season, the five-time Grand Slam champion remains confident. Reflecting on the pressure, she once said, “It hasn’t been easy for the past months because after having such great seasons, I’ve been on the spotlight and my every move is judged.” Clearly, Swiatek understands the scrutiny early losses bring. So it’s no surprise, she stands firmly behind her fellow players!
On Thursday, the Pole joined Aryna Sabalenka, Madison Keys, Mirra Andreeva, and Emma Navarro as the last top-10 seeds remaining. She was asked about the rising competitiveness beyond the top five in both men’s and women’s tennis. When questioned if this trend would define future major events, Swiatek delivered a perfect response.
Speaking in her post-match press conference, Iga Swiatek said, “I have no idea what’s gonna happen in the future. And also, I remember you guys asking me questions why there’s no consistency on the WTA. I don’t feel that. Me and Aryna and Coco have been winning a lot. Sometimes we lose early, because the schedule is pretty crazy. You can’t win everything.” Spoken like a true champion, right?
Iga Swiatek on people saying there’s no consistency in the WTA, ‘I don’t feel that. Me and Aryna and Coco have been winning a lot. Sometimes we lose early, because the schedule is pretty crazy. You can’t win everything’
“Do you find that the game has become a lot more… pic.twitter.com/e02kAsiEdx
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) July 3, 2025
Given her mixed season, she reached five semifinals and one final. The final was recently at the Bad Homburg Open, where she lost to Jessica Pegula. This experience shows she knows what it’s all about. Meanwhile, Coco Gauff and Pegula both exited in the first round. Gauff came fresh off her 2025 French Open win over the world No. 1. Pegula entered the tournament holding a grass title. Their early exits intensified criticism of the American players.
Alongside them, top players like Qinwen Zheng, Jeļena Ostapenko, Paula Badosa, Jasmine Paolini, and more were ousted early. So what’s Iga’s take on these early exits? She added, “I feel like on grass there are many upsets every year. It’s a surface we shouldn’t really.. I don’t know. It doesn’t really matter what happens here when we go to the hard court season I would say.”
It’s true—the majority of tournaments are played on hard courts, not grass or clay. Grass is the least played surface, despite Wimbledon being the oldest Grand Slam. Plus, American players face a bigger disadvantage with fewer grass courts to practice on. Could this explain their struggles to adjust? There’s no way to know for sure.
Coming back to Iga, it’s refreshing to see a player support others when times are tough. Not to forget, the 23 year old firmly stands on her belief on the hectic tour schedule that often leaves players exhausted!
Iga Swiatek calls out hectic WTA tour
Remember when Swiatek called the tennis calendar “crazy” last year, pointing out the relentless back-to-back tournaments players must tackle just to meet requirements? Well, she’s still not over it! Right before Wimbledon 2025, after a tough loss to Jessica Pegula in the Bad Homburg Open final, Swiatek shared her thoughts on the mental strain. She told reporters, “The scheduling is super intense. It’s too intense. There’s no point for us to play over 20 tournaments in a year.”
She highlighted how players sometimes have to skip representing their countries to keep up with mandatory events like WTA 500s—or else face zero ranking points. It’s a tricky balancing act! With over 60 tournaments on the ATP and WTA tours each year, plus Grand Slams, Olympics, and more, the schedule is jam-packed worldwide. Swiatek added, “I think these kind of obligations and the rules about mandatory tournaments just put pressure on us.”
She believes tennis would benefit if players competed less often, saying, “I think people would still watch tennis, maybe even more, if we played less tournaments. The quality would be better.” This isn’t the first time Swiatek has raised this issue. Even Coco Gauff has spoken out about it. But for now, players have to push through.
Looking ahead, Iga faces Danielle Collins in round three on Saturday. Will she topple the American? Only time will tell! In the meantime, you can catch all the latest news on Wimbledon 2025 on our Live Blog. Don’t miss out!
The post Coco Gauff’s Early Wimbledon Exit Defended by Iga Swiatek With a Bold Jab at Critics appeared first on EssentiallySports.