Falling in line with the tradition of tennis parents, Iga Swiatek’s father Tomasz Swiatek who is an international rower himself has completely been invested in her career since a young age. However, it’ll be hard for some to believe that he also bears the brunt of Swiatek’s fast-paced career at the top level. It’s manifested in his absence from most of her matches.
‘Every look or gesture is noticed by Iga’ – Tomasz Swiatek on Iga Swiatek
An Instagram post captioned, “How to raise the best tennis player in the world?” by TVP Sports, quoted Tomasz admitting he doesn’t watch Swiatek’s matches live. “I watch most of Iga’s matches at home. Sometimes I arrange to watch it with friends. Sitting or standing? Differently. It depends on the situation.” [Translated using Google Translate]
“It’s more comfortable at home because you can express your emotions. Watching the match live is very demanding because every look or gesture is noticed by Iga,” added Tomasz, highlighting the pressures at the top level of the sport.
Tomasz Swiatek, an athlete himself, is no stranger to the kind of pressure a sportsperson is exposed to at the top level. He was a former rower who participated in the men’s quadruple sculls competition at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
‘I had a heart rate of 120’ – Tomasz Swiatek on watching Iga Swiatek play
Following her hard-fought final win at the French Open 2023, Tomasz told the Polish news outlet Rzeczpospolita that he was extremely nervous while watching the match. With his heart bursting out of his chest, he couldn’t even leave the stadium as it would have been inappropriate.
He sais, “I experienced the Roland Garros final strongly. There are matches when I can be very nervous. It’s different at home, in front of the TV, when sometimes I can just cover my face and differently at the match.”
“Sitting on the stand in Paris, I had a heart rate of 120, and it was not appropriate for me to get up and leave,” Tomasz added, revealing his discomfort. One suspects that probably this is what led the former Olympian to settle on watching her matches on television from the comfort of his home in Poland.
World No. 1 Iga Swiatek, after her Indian Wells triumph is now looking to secure the ‘ Sunshine Double’ at the Miami Open. She stormed into the round of 32 outclassing Italy’s Camila Giorgi and is set to face Czech tennis star Linda Nosková.
