Near enough is good enough just won’t cut it for such a self-described perfectionist as Iga Swiatek at Australian Open 2025.
It comes with its benefits, of course. That insatiable appetite has already carried her to five major trophies and the No.1 ranking.
It also helped prompt a bold change in her team when she opted away from a fellow Pole as her coach in October in favour of the highly-regarded Wim Fissette, the Belgian super coach who previously worked with other Grand Slam-winning No.1s Naomi Osaka, Angelique Kerber, Simona Halep, Kim Clijsters and Victoria Azarenka.
"When I do anything, I want to do it 100 per cent,” Swiatek said following her fourth Roland Garros triumph last year. “I think when you're a perfectionist, you are a perfectionist everywhere.
“I'm working on it, and this is a tricky thing, because for sure it helps you to be better, but sometimes it can be huge baggage. I think I'm fine handling my own pressure. When outside pressure hits me, it is a little bit worse.”
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The No.2 seed at Melbourne Park was already aware she was the only woman to have reached the second round at every major played since the start of the 2020 season.
The 23-year-old ensured as much following a routine 6-3 6-4 victory over Czech world No.50 Katerina Siniakova on Monday, after which her impressive opening-round Grand Slam record came to light, and she had a dig at her own ever so slightly less-than-perfect statistic.
“I think I only lost once in the first round. It was at Wimbledon in 2019. I wish I didn't play so my stat would be perfect,” she grinned. “Yeah, I mean, I'm happy. It shows that I'm consistent … I'm just more confident before a Slam, even playing the first match.
“I know that no matter what's going to happen, I have kind of this stat. I should just do what I always do, and it will be good.”
Her record in Grand Slam second rounds is only marginally worse, and will improve to 22-2 should she claim a win at Rod Laver Arena over Slovak Rebecca Sramkova in the pair’s first meeting on Thursday.
The world No.49 made up huge ground in the rankings last season having started outside the top 100. A maiden singles title in Hua Hin and two other finals helped the 28-year-old crack the top 50 for the first time.
Worryingly for her, Swiatek’s two second-round exits at this level both came in her debut season, 2019, before she claimed her first major the following year.
Like Swiatek, reigning men’s champion Jannik Sinner is becoming well accustomed to having his name mentioned among the greats when winning statistics are tallied.
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The Italian had a trickier time of it against world No.36 Chilean Nicolas Jarry in a 7-6(2) 7-6(5) 6-1 first-round result, after which he was informed he became just the fourth player to win 15 straight Grand Slam hard-court matches after Andre Agassi, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.
“I mean, it's amazing to be next to these names,” the top seed said. “I cannot compare myself with these players, no? They have done so, so many things. I'm just trying to make my own little story. Happy about that. I like hard courts. I like these conditions.”
Sinner faces Australian world No.173 Tristan Schoolkate for the first time at RLA on Thursday after the wildcard beat Japan’s Taro Daniel to win his opening round at successive Slams.
Schoolkate’s countryman, eighth seed Alex de Minaur, returns to RLA after taming Carlos Alcaraz’s US Open conqueror, Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp, on Tuesday night.
The 25-year-old meets 136th-ranked Grand Slam debutant Tristan Boyer for the first time, an American qualifier who earned his first tour-level match win over Federico Coria in the opening round.
Boyer revealed his win came after his father had to evacuate his house due to the ongoing fires in California.
“I'm sure the win today would have given him a little pep on his step and would have been a good feeling in a very tough time for him,” De Minaur said.
“As for our matchup, I'm looking forward to it. He's obviously playing with a lot of confidence, getting through quallies and now getting four matches under his belt.”
In the final night match at RLA, women’s fourth seed Jasmine Paolini takes on Mexico’s Renata Zarazua in a showdown between two sub-165cm competitors.
Italy’s Paolini was one of the most improved players on tour last season, reaching surprise back-to-back major finals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon and guiding Italy to its first Billie Jean King Cup since 2013. Zarazua equalled her best result at a major following her three-set first-round win over Taylor Townsend.
Elsewhere, Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios return to Melbourne Park in tandem for the first time since their run to the 2022 title in an all-Australian first round men’s doubles against James Duckworth and Aleksandar Vukic.
Fourth-seeded American Taylor Fritz meets Chilean qualifier and former world No.17 Cristian Garin, while 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina takes on 17-year-old American Iva Jovic.