Training in Catalonia

Iga Świątek is conducting on-court training in Barcelona ahead of the late-season Asian tournament swing. The 25-year-old Polish tennis player took a brief rest following her round-of-16 exit at the US Open, where she lost in two sets to Qinwen Zheng, before travelling to Spain to begin preparations. Her training block is supervised by coach Francisco Roig, who spoke to Radio ZET about the tactical and physical priorities of her current practices. Świątek is scheduled to return to competitive play on 30 September 2026 at the WTA 1000 tournament in Beijing, where she aims to reclaim the title she previously won in 2023 and secure points to qualify for the season-ending WTA Finals.

Visit from Aleksandra Mirosław

During a practice session in the Catalan capital, Świątek was joined on court by Olympic speed climbing champion Aleksandra Mirosław and her dog Loki. Mirosław travelled from Warsaw to Barcelona, where she also spends significant time. Świątek posted a photograph of the meeting on Instagram, jokingly identifying Loki as her new personal ball boy, while Mirosław replied that she had dropped by for a brief visit. Both athletes have worked with sports psychologist Daria Abramowicz, who accompanies Świątek on the WTA Tour and previously worked with Mirosław throughout her climbing career. Mirosław reflected on the impact of that psychological collaboration:

“Daria primarily helped me get to know myself and understand my emotions. She taught me to understand, distinguish, and name them.”

Petkovic on form and Grand Slam pressure

Former world top-10 German player Andrea Petkovic evaluated Świątek's form on the Substack publishing platform following her fourth-round elimination in New York. Petkovic noted that Świątek performed strongly during earlier hard-court tournaments in Toronto and Cincinnati before succumbing to late-tournament fatigue. She also observed that high personal expectations have caused tension during Grand Slam tournaments, limiting Świątek's freedom on court:

“She is already on the exact right track! She played really well in both Toronto and Cincinnati, and I would say that towards the end of Cincinnati she just got a bit tired.”

Petkovic maintained that temporary difficulties are typical for young athletes, predicting sustained long-term success for the Polish player:

“Personally, I am convinced that she will end her career with a double-digit number of Grand Slam titles. She is still so young, and going through harder periods in a career is completely normal.”

Mirosław's career milestones

Mirosław concluded her 17-year competitive career in August 2026 at the European Championships, where she claimed bronze after defeating teammate Natalia Kałucka. Her career record includes the Paris Olympic gold medal, three World Championship titles won in 2018, 2019, and 2025, as well as European titles in 2019 and 2022. She held the world record in speed climbing until July 2026, when American competitor Emma Hunt clocked 5.99 seconds in the World Cup quarterfinals held at Kraków Main Square.