Iga Swiatek may be due to take on Amanda Anisimova on centre court today in the Wimbledon final but her huge fame at just 24 has had a huge affect on her private life
Being one of the world’s most talked about tennis players in the world – and one of the most successful Polish tennis players ever – comes with a whole host of benefits, but there are also a few downsides.
At just 24-years-old, Iga Swiatek has five Grand Slams and has had over 100 weeks at the world No. 1 spot. Now, the Polish tennis star is taking on Amanda Anisimova on centre court at Wimbledon today, where she’s hoping to claim her first title of the year.
Swiatek previously shared that when she is back home in Poland, she prefers to socialise with family and friends inside an apartment due to a lack of privacy when she’s out in public.
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Iga has been struggling to have a private life and has been speaking out about being hounded by paparazzi who she has asked to have some respect for her privacy.
“I can accept it when it’s at work and I’m going to a practice and everything, but for example, when it’s close to my home and I’m having just to walk with a friend or with a family member, I’d rather them not do that because that’s my time off,” the five-time Grand Slam winner said.
“I had an incident actually, after Miami, when I was home, and paparazzi followed me almost to my apartment. I stopped them and said, ‘Ok, tomorrow I’m going to practice. You can take photos of me when I go there, but this is off-limits.'”
Meanwhile, the Polish player has been telling tennis fans to try a beloved Polish dish called makaron z truskawkami – strawberries and cream, but with pasta!
“I ate it as a kid,” she said in a post-match interview. “It’s pasta with strawberries — pasta, strawberries, a little bit of yogurt — it’s just great.” Her response was met with gasps and murmurs from the Wimbledon crowd.
A video clip of the interview, posted to the official Wimbledon TikTok account, has been viewed two million times and attracted hundreds of comments. Some were sceptical: “What on Earth are people eating,” one said.
“It’s one of those dishes every Polish kid remembers,” Adriana Marczewska, a Polish cookbook author and television presenter, told the New York Times.
“For me, as a chef and culinary journalist, it’s both deeply sentimental and unexpectedly complete. It has all the elements of a perfect dish: carbs, fruit, dairy, sugar and a generous serving of nostalgia.”
In 2023, Iga was named Polish Sports Personality of the Year and included on Time’s annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. In 2025, Świątek made it to the Madame Tussauds Hot 100 list for her philanthropic act and advocacy.
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