Nick Kyrgios has lauded Iga Swiatek’s dominant Wimbledon title run, calling her achievement “tennis immortality,” even after previously criticizing her over a doping controversy.
Swiatek claimed her maiden Wimbledon title in emphatic fashion last weekend, losing just one set en route to a historic 6-0, 6-0 demolition of Amanda Anisimova in the final. With the victory, she captured her sixth Grand Slam trophy and joined elite company only 10 women in the Open Era have won more singles majors.
The win also completed her ‘Surface Slam’, making her just the eighth woman in history to win Grand Slam titles on clay, hard, and grass courts.
This Wimbledon crown marks Swiatek’s first major title since the 2024 French Open, and also her first since returning from a one-month doping suspension late last year. She tested positive for trimetazidine ahead of the 2024 Cincinnati Open and was provisionally suspended during the China and Wuhan Opens. Her case remained private until late November when the full sanction was confirmed.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency concluded that the banned substance came from contaminated melatonin, finding Swiatek bore “no significant fault or negligence.”
Her situation unfolded shortly after Jannik Sinner’s similar doping case, drawing major scrutiny. Kyrgios, known for his outspoken views, had previously slammed Swiatek and Sinner, arguing that players needed to stop making “excuses” for positive tests. During Wimbledon, he remarked that having both players in the final wasn’t “a good look” for the sport, though he admitted he wouldn’t dwell on it during commentary.
Despite his past criticism, Kyrgios was full of praise after Swiatek’s final victory, speaking on TNT Sports. The 2022 Wimbledon finalist said:
“That’s the moment when you know you’ve reached the pinnacle. She’s a multi-time Slam winner, in her prime, and now she’s achieved tennis immortality. She’s easily one of the greats of her generation.”
He added that her dominant display could set the tone for the rest of the season:
“With this win, maybe she’s got the confidence to dominate the women’s game. Right now, it’s Coco, Sabalenka, and Iga but I’ve got her right at the top heading into the US Open.”
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