“Hope we gave you the best possible home” - Iga Swiatek pens emotional message as she mourns the loss of her childhood pet

Iga Swiatek shared the news of the death of her childhood pet. The Polish tennis star posted snaps of the cat over the years, and penned an emotional note for the occasion.

Swiatek is arguably one of the biggest sporting stars Poland has ever seen. The 24-year-old remains the first and only tennis player representing the nation to win a tennis Grand Slam. As a result, the Wimbledon titleist has garnered a large fan following, and while she largely keeps her personal life private, she occasionally gives fans insights into what her day-to-day looks like.

Most recently, Iga Swiatek shared the news that her childhood cat Grappa, who has been a part of her family for 17 years, has passed away. The Pole shared various glimpses of herself with Grappa over the years, and wrote in the caption of her Instagram post:

“Hope we gave you the best possible home a cat can have. Grateful that you gave us 17 years of unconditional love.”

Iga Swiatek highlights what she needs to change for the hard court season as she gears up for the Cincinnati Open

Swiatek at the WTA 1000 National Bank Open (Image Source: Getty)

On the tennis end of things, Iga Swiatek ended her grass court season on an incredible high as lifted the Wimbledon trophy for the first time in her career. In July, the 24-year-old kicked off the hard court swing at the Canadian Open, but was knocked out in the round of 16 by Clara Tauson.

Now, as she gears up for the Cincinnati Open, the Pole reflected on the difference between grass courts and hard courts, telling media in Ohio,

“For sure I felt like I'm still figuring out how to play on hardcourt with these balls as well that are much lighter. I worked pretty hard and I was committed, but I think I was still in my mind expecting that I'm gonna play similar to my last matches in Wimbledon, but the conditions were different.”

She went on to highlight the changes she wants to make to her game in the upcoming events, saying,

“So, I guess I just need to continue the work and make a little progress in my tennis and also in my decision-making. I feel like my last match I lost because I was kind of rushing it and kind of trying to play too many winners like I would on grass, but here you have to be more patient.”

Iga Swiatek will begin her time at the Cincinnati Open on Saturday, August 9. The former World No.1 will take on Russian Anastasia Potapova.