ITF

12 Winter 2020 ITF World to play with players from different countries and see the difference between me and others. "I developed my game really well in those tournaments and there is huge pride for me having played those competitions. "If I was to advise the younger players playing those tournaments in the coming years, I would say they shouldn't be too hard on themselves and should just enjoy them. "It's good to look at their life from a different perspective and do the things they love. They should travel because not everyone can do that, and it would be great if they could surround themselves with really supportive people. "At the beginning of your career that is really important. Right now, I look at how my team has supported me and helped me during the past few months and it makes a big difference." With her career trajectory shifting radically due to events in Paris, consistency is now the key and Swiatek's stated aim, especially with the women's game, in contrast to the men's, lacking a dominant individual or group. Since Serena Williams claimed the last of her 23 Grand Slam titles at the 2017 Australian Open, the women's game has seen 11 different Grand Slam winners. In the same time period, other than Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, only Austria's Dominic Thiem, at this year's US Open, has won a Grand Slam. "Many women are struggling for consistency and that's why we have so many new Grand Slam winners because we are not as consistent as Rafa, Roger and Novak," said Swiatek, who has represented Poland in eight Billie Jean King Cup ties since her debut in 2018. "Consistency is my goal. That is going to be hard to achieve, especially at my age, but I know that my team has a plan. I know we have a lot to work on. Even though I have won a Grand Slam, I am not physically in perfect shape and tennis wise I have a lot to learn. "I am going to keep working and consistency is my priority. I know it is going to be hard to achieve so I am not going to be too hard on myself." Another hugely significant event on the horizon is the rescheduled Olympic Games in Tokyo, which will now be staged in 2021 after the Covid-19 pandemic forced their postponement this year. The Olympics are particularly significant for Swiatek, whose father Tomasz is a former rower who competed in the men's quadruple sculls event at the 1988 Games in Seoul. The Olympics are something of a family traditional with footsteps there to be followed. "It has always been important for me," she said. "I remember that in 2018 I was planning what I was going to do because I would have graduation exams and the Olympics in the same year. It is a big deal because I never think about a tournament two years beforehand. "I just hope I don't have expectations because usually it doesn't help. If I have my expectations really high then I am not going to be able to perform. It is special for me but I am just going to try and treat it like any other tournament. "I hope that my dad can be there but with Covid restrictions I'm not sure whether that is going to be possible. That would be special, although it is not like we were talking about the Olympics every day while I was growing up. "The best thing about it is that my father was a sportsman and he understands that you have to focus your whole life to develop and being a sportsperson is not a job for a few hours a day, you are working probably every minute to achieve greatness." While very much at the forefront of her mind, there is much for Swiatek to contend with before boarding a plane to Tokyo. There are many other titles to battle for in the meantime and three opportunities to add to her Grand Slam haul, starting with the Australian Open. Right and above left Swiatek contested a number of Junior Grand Slams, including Wimbledon, which she won in 2018

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