"Let's go to a tournament for older girls, we've beaten everyone here" - Iga Swiatek's father recalls daughter's competitiveness even at the age of 10

Iga Swiatek's father Tomasz recently opened up about the Pole's competitive spirit even at a very young age, recalling the time she wanted to play at a tournament for older girls because she had already beaten everyone in her age group.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita, the World No. 1's father touched on a variety of topics, including how the four-time Grand Slam champion was as a child.

Remarking that he had never had any problems with her upbringing, Tomasz Swiatek revealed that his daughter had always been a kid who wanted to compete and looked forward to new challenges.

To emphasize his point, he remembered how Swiatek, back when she was just 10 years old, demanded that they play at a tournament with kids older than her because she was too good for everyone at her age at that point.

"I never had any problems with her upbringing. She was always a kid who wanted to compete. First with her older sister, then with rivals on the court. As a ten-year-old, she urged: 'Let's go to a tournament for older girls, because we've already beaten everyone here.'

"She was always looking for new challenges, that's what she had left. I remember her winning junior Wimbledon in 2018. She was happy and it seemed to her that she had achieved everything, but it was only a moment. I explained that this is only the beginning," Tomasz Swiatek said.

Iga Swiatek's father also chimed in on if the 22-year-old would have been marketed better had she been American or British, saying that it was "probably" true. At the same time, he was of the opinion that it is a conscious choice by his daughter to not focus too much on endorsements, as she wanted to focus more on the sport instead.

"Probably yes - just because the companies there are able to offer larger budgets under contracts with native athletes. The UK and America are big markets. Looking at the results of some players and knowing the number of their advertising contracts, I dare say that it is also a matter of choice: I focus more on sport or monetize individual successes, maximizing the interest of sponsors," Tomasz Swiatek said.

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"I infected her with the consistency of sports" - Iga Swiatek's father Tomasz

Day Seven: The Championships - Wimbledon 2023

Iga Swiatek's father Tomasz, an Olympic rower who represented Poland at the elite level, took credit for infecting the World No. 1 with the "consistency" that comes with the act of taking up a sport. Tomasz Swiatek was of the opinion that every kid should do so, as it teaches children about perseverance and how to be systematic in life.

"I infected her with the [consistency] of sports. This should be important in every kid's life. Sport shapes: it forces you to be systematic, persevere, it teaches you to strive for a goal. Every young man should practice it - even if only as an amateur. I don't recommend tennis. I encourage you to be active. It's very important that everyone should move," Iga Swiatek's father said.

Following her quarterfinal exit at the recently concluded Wimbledon Championships, Iga Swiatek will be in action next at the Poland Open in front of her home fans this week.