The Olympic Games in Paris were supposed to be a chance for Iga Świątek to redeem herself after the last event in Tokyo. Although she won a bronze medal, it's hard to say she was entirely satisfied with it. Nevertheless, she didn't hesitate to dedicate her success to someone special. "If I were to dedicate it to someone, it would undoubtedly be to my dad. That's pretty much an obvious answer" - she said. Tomasz Świątek was visibly moved at the time, and he has now spoken more extensively on the subject.
Tomasz Świątek Reveals the Truth About Iga: "It Hurts Me as a Parent"
The 60-year-old revealed that the Olympics took a lot out of his daughter.
The pressure to win a gold medal was very high; there were tons of articles, and everyone was already hanging that medal around Iga's neck before the tournament even started, which certainly didn't help. Iga is only human. It's not like you press a button, the machine goes out on the court, wins all the matches, and leaves Paris with the gold. I saw up close how much that tournament cost her
- he said in an interview with WP SportoweFakty.
Even though the world’s top-ranked player has accustomed us to winning, she still experiences occasional losses. Tomasz Świątek explained that some matches evoke additional emotions in him.
"There are still matches where you can see that Iga struggles from the start to play her tennis. It hurts me as a parent, but we've learned that losses are part of the sport. You can't win all the time, especially in tennis" - he admitted.
Iga Świątek's Father Has Stepped Aside. "I'm Happy About It"
Although her father still plays an important role in Iga Świątek's team, he decided at some point to step back a bit. He notes that he doesn't miss the role of team leader. "I'm happy I'm not the team leader anymore. I've never been a tennis player, so I'll never feel all of this as well as Iga and others do. Now she manages the team, makes key decisions. She's doing great," he explained.
I'm happy to be by her side as a parent. It's really better for everyone when there's a division of roles and responsibilities. The result is good performances on the court. We're primarily a family, and family is not work. Iga has specialists for that
- he added.
To maintain motivation at the highest level, the 23-year-old undoubtedly needs tremendous support from her loved ones. In recent years, she has won so much that she could sometimes lose focus. Tomasz Świątek admitted that he is not the one driving his daughter to action.
Iga is intelligent and independent enough that we don't even talk about it. I don't suggest or advise anything. She has coaches for that. Tomasz Wiktorowski is responsible for tennis matters, Maciej Ryszczuk for general preparation, and Daria Abramowicz for psychological issues. The team works very well, and they themselves ensure that the workload is at the right level
- he concluded. On Thursday, Iga Świątek will play her next match at the US Open. The Świątek-Shibahara match in the second round is expected to start around 8:30 PM.
