Iga Swiatek will arrive at the Australian Open this year carrying more than just expectations. She is one title away from completing a Career Grand Slam, a feat achieved by only a select group of players in tennis history. With three of the four majors already secured, Melbourne represents the final piece missing from an already remarkable résumé.
Swiatek has built her legacy on dominance and consistency across the sport’s biggest stages. The Polish star owns four Roland Garros titles, collected between 2020 and 2024, establishing herself as the defining clay-court player of her generation. She added a US Open trophy in 2022 and, most recently, captured her first Wimbledon crown in 2025, proving she can conquer grass just as convincingly as hard courts and clay.
That collection makes Swiatek the only active woman to have won three different Grand Slam tournaments. The Australian Open is the lone major still out of reach, and a victory there would place her among the all-time greats. If she lifts the trophy in Melbourne, Swiatek would become just the 11th woman to complete a Career Slam and only the third to do so this century, following Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova. She would also be the first woman born in the 2000s, and the first born since 1988, to achieve the milestone.
ONE WEEK UNTIL AO 2026 🤯 #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/GDJAXXQbEU
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) January 11, 2026
History shows just how rare the accomplishment is. Legends such as Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf, and Serena Williams all required years of sustained excellence to complete the set. Swiatek, still in her early 20s, is already knocking on that door.
Her record in Melbourne suggests the breakthrough is possible, even if it has not come easily. Swiatek has reached the semifinals twice at the Australian Open, first in 2022 and again in 2025. In her initial semifinal appearance, she ran into a red-hot Danielle Collins, who ended her run in straight sets. More recently, Swiatek came painfully close to reaching the final, holding a match point before falling in a dramatic three-set loss to Madison Keys. That defeat underscored both how close she is and how unforgiving the tournament can be.
Keys would go on to win the title, a reminder that the Australian Open often produces unpredictable champions. For Swiatek, that unpredictability has been the one hurdle she has yet to fully overcome at the year’s first major.
Still, her form entering the tournament inspires confidence. Swiatek has shown she can adapt her game to different surfaces, improve weaknesses, and handle the pressure that comes with being a favorite. Completing the Career Slam would not just be another trophy; it would cement her place in tennis history and redefine expectations for what she can achieve in the years ahead.
As the Australian Open begins, Swiatek’s pursuit of that final major will be one of the tournament’s defining storylines. Whether Melbourne finally delivers or demands patience once again, her quest adds an extra layer of significance to every match she plays.