Melbourne
World number two Iga Swiatek on Friday said completing a career Grand Slam at the Australian Open would be a dream achievement, but stressed that it is not her primary focus as she begins her campaign in Melbourne. The Polish star underlined that her approach remains firmly rooted in taking one match at a time rather than chasing milestones.
Swiatek, 24, has already built an impressive Grand Slam résumé, winning four French Open titles along with triumphs at the US Open and Wimbledon. However, the Australian Open remains the only major missing from her collection. Despite reaching the semi-finals at Melbourne Park on two occasions, she has yet to advance to the final.
“Since the beginning of the year, many people have been talking to me about it,” Swiatek said when asked about the prospect of completing the set of all four majors. “But I’m really just focusing on day-by-day work. This is how I’ve always operated, and it’s helped me achieve what I have so far.”
She acknowledged that winning Grand Slams is never easy and said she has deliberately avoided setting expectations for herself in Melbourne. “Obviously it would be a dream come true,” she said. “But it’s not something I wake up thinking about. I’m more focused on how I want to play and what I need to improve.”
Swiatek will begin her Australian Open campaign against Chinese qualifier Yuan Yue, coming off a mixed start to the 2026 season. While she was part of the Polish team that won the United Cup in Sydney, her singles form has been inconsistent. She suffered successive losses to Coco Gauff and Belinda Bencic during the tournament.
“The Sydney matches weren’t smooth and it wasn’t an easy start,” Swiatek admitted. “There are still things I need to work on, especially mentally.”
Emphasising intensity and enjoyment on court, Swiatek said her focus would be on staying present in every point, playing freely and pushing forward regardless of mistakes, as she looks to build momentum in Melbourne.
