Iga Swiatek was the on-court blockbuster of 2022, winning two Grand Slam titles and going unbeaten from February to July in a 37-match winning streak that turned all heads. She stepped into the world No 1 position with incredible ease, owning all the duties of the job with defining courage on sensitive topics at only 21.
Swiatek has made being an introvert a successful trait in a sport that is usually the field of larger-than-life characters. And then while contemplating the scale of her domination, one also wonders how it translates into how she builds her brand off the court. Insiders are looking out for the brand endorsements, obviously comparing to past blueprints. But does Iga Swiatek wants to be a brand? Yes, she does. But the Iga way, as always. She and her team agreed to give us a closer look at how someone with such a unique personality finds a spot at the top of the business game while making sure not to get burnt along the way.
Each time a new super-dominant player comes on the scene, you can hear the business minds of the tour wondering how bankable they’re going to be. Everyone with any kind of financial interest in the sport worries about whether this person can sell: even more since the Big Four, the Williams sisters, the Sharapova and the Osaka eras have rained money on tennis.
Iga Swiatek has just landed in the centre of the tennis business talk. The sign? There’s been as much talk about the start of her season than about her move to IMG, her position at No 5 on the Forbes list of the world’s highest-paid female athletes with $14.9 million to her name ($5 million coming from off-court activities), and her sponsors’ announcements. The uniqueness of Iga Swiatek? There’s also been as much talk about her book club and her reading list. She has already carved a different path. “When I don’t have time to read a book, I know that I’m losing my work-life balance and I need to get back to basics,” she told Forbes.
