Iga Swiatek Shares About Business Side Of Tennis Ahead Of Short Film

Iga Swiatek is ready to open up about her time on the tennis tour. The World No. 1 has done so in a new short film, “Beyond Number One,” presented by On, releasing May 22. For the debut of the “Dream Together” film series from On, Swiatek gave the brand access to her life on tour, from California to her hometown of Warsaw, Poland, showing the 22-year-old sharing about the pressures and expectations of her position at the top of tennis.

Part of those expectations include her continued rise on the business side of tennis, which includes Swiatek signing with On in 2023 and serving as the brand’s face of female tennis. “I’m definitely still learning,” she tells me about her relationship with business. “I would say I know more about opportunities that partnerships give me as a player and as a person. I’m more comfortable with all business projects, photoshoots, playing the role of a model while shooting ads and campaigns.”

Swiatek credits her team in allowing her to prioritize her on-court performance, which she’s learned improves her business connections. If she plays well and wins tournaments, “it pays off for me and everyone around me, including my partners. Good achievements are the foundation.”

So, Swiatek has placed a focus on those foundational achievements now—which her partners support—and will then work to develop her business “closer to the end of my career.”

WATCH: “Beyond Number One”

The business of tennis and performance of tennis have already started mixing for the four-time major champion. Working with On, Swiatek says she’s able to have complete freedom in helping test kits, give feedback and have her preferences taken care of. “Of course, they provide me with designs, but they are made with my preferences in mind, so they fit my taste,” she says. “I’m definitely open to experiment, to try new looks in the future, so one thing is for sure, it’s gonna be fun.”

Ahead of the French Open, Swiatek and On unveiled a brightly colored purple, red and white look. Every element comes to the exacting nature of Swiatek. “Every detail is important on the court and just my general feeling in my outfits,” she says about the designs. “I need to feel comfortable and powerful, and this is something On achieved for me.”

The on-court kit needs to feel like a second skin, Swiatek says, and she wants it to include color and a fun design. “I’m kind of strict regarding the cut of my tops or skirts because it all matters when I move on the court, especially in movements like slides or serving, so I have my preferences,” she says. “I can’t wait to wear my Roland Garros outfit on the court.”

As Swiatek opened up during the eight-and-a-half minute film about her hope to inspire younger generations—“making ‘Beyond Number One’ offered me the chance to speak about this topic and offer fans a deeper insight into my journey to this point,” she says—Swiatek says that her on-tour perspective has changed.

“For almost a year now, I’ve been discovering these places more, spending more time outside of the venues, visiting nice places, especially where I can be closer to nature because I recharge the best by the water or in parks,” she says.

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Her stays in each city have found a fluid routine, with her business responsibilities typically handled the week prior to the event, and Swiatek inviting more friends and family to the tournaments. “I travel so much,” she says, “it’s nice to see them more and to spend some time together in beautiful cities.”

The next city she’s planning on exploring is Paris, home of the French Open, a tournament she has won three of the last four years. When listing her favorite places to play, she mentions the beauty of the venue in Rome and the great memories from Stuttgart—a place she “can have my eyes on the prize”—but nothing captures her interest quite like Roland Garros, her favorite tennis location in the world. “Roland Garros,” she says, “this one I pick without even thinking about it.”