Iga Swiatek is chasing history in Melbourne.
The Polish star, a winner of six Grand Slam titles, has the opportunity to complete the Career Grand Slam: winning all four Grand Slam singles titles at least once.
If Swiatek wins the 2026 Australian Open, she would become only the 10th female player to win the Career Grand Slam in women’s singles.
Swiatek has won four French Open titles, and sole titles at the US Open and Wimbledon.
This January, Swiatek will hope to win the Australian Open title for the first time in her career.
Who are your favourites for the 2026 Australian Open title?
Credit: Sofascore
Lindsay Davenport and Martina Navratilova suggest potentially slower court speeds at the Australian Open could help Iga Swiatek
It is no secret that Iga Swiatek likes a slower court.
The Polish star has excelled on slower surfaces throughout her career, winning four French Open titles, frequently dominating her opponents on the surface.
However, Swiatek has enjoyed success on hard courts, as demonstrated by her 2022 US Open victory, and could be a threat at the 2026 Australian Open if the courts have slowed.
Lindsay Davenport, the 1999 Wimbledon champion, suggested that the courts in Melbourne have done exactly that while discussing the reasons for Iga Swiatek’s absences from the Australian Open final.
Swiatek has never reached the final in Melbourne. The closest she came was in 2025, when she reached the semi-finals.
As per the Tennis Channel, Davenport said: “In the years past this court has played so fast. Iga’s always historically needed a little bit of time so she wasn’t so rushed.
“Players are saying maybe not as fast this year, maybe bouncing up a little bit more. That could help Iga.
“She also needs a lot of matches to feel like she’s playing well and have confidence coming in. Doesn’t have a lot based on her performance at the United Cup. She was not happy with her play there.
“She looks stressed this week leading in from all reports here on the ground.
“Be interesting to see if she can convince herself, like she did at Wimbledon, that even though she has never played her best tennis here before, that she can do it this year.
“The stakes are high, she was trying to downplay it in press even though she’s playing for the career slam. It’s enormous and her ability and her opportunity here is huge. Let’s see if she embraces it.”
Martina Navratilova, who completed the career Grand Slam in singles, doubles and mixed doubles, also weighed in on the potential impact of slower courts on Swiatek’s chances of winning the title in Melbourne.
The Czech-American star said: “Yeah the slower court will help her; we’ll see if it stays slow, if it actually is slow.“But having lost to Gauff and Bencic just a couple weeks ago, that cannot help her confidence.
Do you think women should play best-of-five set matches?
“So given the history and those two losses, not really being match… certainly not being confident. But then again, it’s Iga, she looked pretty confident in this warm up shots there.”
Martina Navratilova discusses the pressure of chasing the career Grand Slam
Navratilova went on to discuss how she felt when chasing the US Open title: the tournament that secured the Czech-American career Grand Slam glory.
Navratilova completed the feat in 1983 when she defeated Chris Evert in the US Open final: 6-1, 6-3.
When asked about the pressure of chasing the final Slam, Navratilova said: “For me, it was the US Open. It was building up, and I was very relieved when I got it done, because it can become such a minus, even though won all the other majors so many times but the US Open was elusive and so it is for Iga here.
“But at the same time this is the first time she can get the (career) slam because she just won Wimbledon this last year. So not as big a pressure cooker, but you have to look at it as an opportunity.
“But if she doesn’t win again and again, then it becomes a pressure cooker.”
