Iga Swiatek reveals how her father Tomasz tried to shield her from financial problems amid 'stressful' time in her childhood

Iga Swiatek recently reflected on the funding issues she dealt with as an upcoming player. The Pole revealed that her father Tomasz tried to shield her from their financial problems during a ‘stressful’ time in her childhood.

Swiatek is one of the WTA’s leading women's singles players at the moment. The 24-year-old has six Grand Slam triumphs, eleven WTA 1000 trophies and one WTA Finals title to her name. She has also spent 125 weeks ranked No.1 in the world and remains Poland’s most successful tennis player.

While Iga Swiatek is a household name in the tennis world now, she recently opened up about the lack of financial support during her early career. In an interview with Forbes, she said,

“There comes a point in most tennis players' careers when funding options run out. It's a very expensive sport, and systemic support is limited – except for team tournaments, where Poland is actually represented.”

She went on to reflect on the stress that her family went through as they tried to overcome the funding issues, revealing,

“When I was 14 or 15, we were already at a stage where we really needed that support. My dad tried to distance me from these problems, but as a child, I still knew what was happening. I suspected it—and it was a stressful time for the entire family, especially for him. My dad put a lot of work, heart, and determination into making sure my sister and I could play tennis, especially when he saw our potential and how I was developing. Thanks to him, I'm here today.”

As she looks to rectify this lack of support for upcoming players, Swiatek recently launched her own foundation which aims to provide promising athletes with the necessary financial and non-financial backing.

Iga Swiatek set to kick off 2026 season in Perth

Swiatek at the WTA Finals 2025 (Image Source: Getty)

On the tennis end of things, Iga Swiatek enjoyed a strong season. The Polish star made semifinals appearances at the Australian Open and French Open, before emerging triumphant at Wimbledon, marking her first ever title on grass courts. She also won the 2025 Cincinnati Masters and Korea Open.

Now, Iga Swiatek is scheduled to kick off her 2026 at the United Cup, which will take place in Perth, Australian between January 2 and 11. As she spearheads the challenge for Poland at the event, the 24-year-old will face off against leading WTA stars like Coco Gauff, Emma Raducanu and Jasmine Paolini.

Edited by Riddhi Acharya