Iga Swiatek’s season has not been up to her usual high standard so far, following the Australian Open.
Swiatek had the chance to earn a Career Grand Slam in Melbourne, but she was comprehensively defeated by Elena Rybakina in the quarter-finals.
Even during Poland’s United Cup winning campaign in the first tournament of the year, Swiatek suffered losses to Coco Gauff and Belinda Bencic.
The star heads to the Qatar Open looking to win her first singles title of the year and she has explained what area of her game she’s trying to improve.
Iga Swiatek reveals the changes she’s trying to make to her game
Swiatek has highlighted three major factors she’s trying to improve after her slow start to the 2026 season.
Speaking at the Qatar Open, via the WTA Tour, the Pole said: “I’ve been working on my serve, forehand, and my footwork. You can’t wait for the ball to come to you here. For sure getting the toss more stable, and twisting more.”
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Swiatek detailed exactly how she is trying to improve her serve, which many have highlighted as the star’s biggest weakness.
“There are different parts of the body that you can focus on when you twist. There are some different [things] that I’m doing, but at the same time moving the elbow more back or getting the hips more.
“It’s not a change of motion, it’s just like what intentions you want to have when you do the motion. I wouldn’t call it a change. I don’t think it’s physical that much.
“From time to time you always have to remind yourself of stuff like that in tennis. So the same case on the backhand, the same case on the forehand. I feel like I need to focus on that more.”
Swiatek heads to the Qatar Open with a terrific record at the Masters event, having lifted the trophy in 2023 and 2024.
Who will Iga Swiatek play at the Qatar Open?
Swiatek is the top seed at the Qatar Open, following Aryna Sabalenka’s withdrawal, and she’s received a bye into the second round.
The Pole will not play a seeded player until the third round at the earliest, as she will play either wild card Janice Tjen or lucky loser Beatriz Haddad Maia in round two.
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A third round match with Elise Mertens looks likely and she has also been drawn in the same section of the draw as Jasmine Paolini, Maria Sakkari, and Linda Noskova.
Swiatek’s most likely semi-final opponent, if she makes it to the final four, looks to be Amanda Anisimova, who won the competition last year.
The only player to defeat Swiatek in the past three tournaments in Qatar is Jelena Ostapenko, who the Pole can’t meet until the final.
The Qatar Open will be the first tournament Swiatek has been the top seed at since the Cincinnati Open in 2023.
