Iga Swiatek’s triumphant march to her maiden Wimbledon title in 2025 has sparked both admiration and debate across the tennis world. The 24-year-old Pole, who claimed her sixth Grand Slam title overall, delivered an emphatic statement on grass courts, a surface where she had never before advanced beyond the quarterfinals. Yet, despite her dominant performance, some voices question the true test of her championship run.
Swiatek’s Wimbledon campaign was nothing short of remarkable. She dropped just a single set throughout the tournament and capped her victory with a historic 6-0, 6-0 demolition of world No 12 Amanda Anisimova in the final — the first time such a scoreline has been recorded in a Wimbledon final. This win marked Swiatek’s first career title on grass and followed her runner-up finish at the WTA 500 event in Bad Homburg just a week prior, underscoring her growing prowess on the surface.
However, former world No 14 Jerzy Janowicz, a Wimbledon semi-finalist in 2013, offered a critical perspective on Swiatek’s achievement. Speaking to Polish outlet Super Express, Janowicz argued that Swiatek “didn’t have a single test” during her Wimbledon run. He pointed out that the highest-ranked opponent she faced was Anisimova, and many of her other adversaries were either inexperienced on grass or struggled on the surface.
Janowicz elaborated, “She played against girls who were much weaker at tennis, she didn’t really play against any girls who could give her trouble on grass. These were girls who were really learning grass or who played poorly on grass. The ladder simply opened up for Iga, and Iga took advantage of it brilliantly.”
He further suggested that while Swiatek’s Wimbledon victory was impressive, it might not resolve the “mental problems” he believes she grapples with when facing stern resistance. “If her opponent offers no resistance and everything goes according to plan, as Iga hopes, then her facial expression or demeanour don’t indicate any problems. Problems arise when plan A doesn’t quite work out as she’d like, because there’s resistance from the other side, and that’s when these problems arise. Will this continue? We’ll see at the next tournament,” Janowicz said.
Despite this critique, Swiatek’s journey to the Wimbledon crown was marked by significant improvements, particularly in her serve — a facet of her game she had been diligently working on for the entire year. Prior to 2025, Swiatek had never broken past the quarterfinals at the All-England Club and entered Wimbledon without any title wins in the preceding year. This underdog status may have fueled her fearless approach on the grass courts.
Swiatek’s serve, once a relative weakness compared to her heavy and consistent groundstrokes and exceptional movement, became a weapon at Wimbledon. During her third-round match against Danielle Collins, she averaged a first serve speed of 180 km/h, outpacing renowned servers such as Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina, and Madison Keys at the same stage of the tournament.
On Andy Roddick’s “Served” podcast, Swiatek expressed her surprise at the speed she achieved. “Honestly when I looked at the stats after the tournament I told my condition coach was the speed check broken because I never served that fast! I was serving faster than all the big servers that we have on the WTA Tour. I was surprised, I don’t know if I am going to be able to do that next tournament,” she revealed.
She added, “I will try because I loved it and I got so many free points and the girls couldn’t really return these serves as well as before, so it was super convenient. I think that was the one of the keys and I got to say for the first year I wasn’t trying to copy my clay court game, with still trying to spin the ball on the forehand and move similarly. I just knew that I needed to use my intuition a bit more, I think I played more flat from the beginning of the grass court season and more aggressive from the first shot.”
Swiatek’s serve improvements were not a sudden breakthrough but the result of months of hard work. She first noticed positive changes at the Australian Open earlier in the year, where she reached the semifinals. “Basically I think I needed someone to force me to do that to give me a little bit of confidence to be able to serve all directions with good speed and precision,” she said. “I felt that already in Australia that this is going better. I had some tournaments where I didn’t feel it that well, but I guess in every process you are going to have ups and downs until you get to the point where it comes more naturally.”
Swiatek also credited the Wimbledon balls for aiding her serve, noting their heavier feel and longer contact point with the strings. “At Wimbledon I think also with the balls that are sticking to the strings, the contact point is a bit longer, because they are heavier a bit. I felt like I could serve really well and I was really going for it,” she said.
Her tactical shift to a flatter, more aggressive style on grass contrasted with her clay court approach, where topspin and movement dominate. This adaptation appears to have paid dividends, as Swiatek not only cruised through the draw but also won her last three sets without dropping a game, an extraordinary feat at such a high level.
While some critics like Janowicz remain skeptical about the depth of her challenge at Wimbledon, Swiatek’s evolution as a player on grass is undeniable. Her blend of heavy groundstrokes, improved serve, and intuitive aggression has transformed her into a formidable contender across all surfaces.
As the tennis season progresses, all eyes will be on Swiatek to see if she can maintain this momentum and demonstrate resilience when truly tested. For now, her Wimbledon victory stands as a testament to her growing versatility and determination to conquer new challenges.
