Coaching Iga Swiatek From 16 to a French Open Title

Key Points

• The transition from juniors to the pro tour can be very tricky as resources are low
• Iga and Piotr worked on small, gradual improvements every month
• When players are young and transitioning to the tour, Piotr believes you shouldn’t play more than 12 to 14 tournaments per year if you are winning 3 or 4 matches every tournament
• Avoiding overtraining and the feeling of “catching up” to your rivals and comparing yourself to them is one of the keys to staying injury free
• One of Iga’s main strengths was staying present in the moment and not overthinking
• She would never just “show up” to practice and would always have full intensity for the duration of the session
• Iga would “listen to her body” and if she was tired and knew she couldn’t give 100% to the end of a session, she would cut the session short and give 100% for the period she was on the court
• Piotr’s philosophy is to guide the player by not overcoaching and let them develop and take ownership of their own game