Who are Iga Swiatek’s parents? Meet Tomasz Swiatek, Olympic rower dad, and orthodontist mom Dorota

Iga Swiatek’s rise to the top of women’s tennis has been shaped by a family with sporting and professional roots. Her father, Tomasz Swiatek, represented Poland in rowing at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, while her mother, Dorota Swiatek, built a career as an orthodontist. Iga has also credited her older sister, Agata Swiatek, with inspiring her to pick up tennis. From sibling rivalry to years of coaching from her father, the family played a role in her development. Here’s a closer look at Iga Swiatek’s parents, sister and the influence they had on her career.Tomasz Swiatek shaped Iga’s sporting pathTomasz Swiatek was an accomplished athlete before his daughter became one of tennis’s biggest names. He competed for Poland in the men’s quadruple sculls at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. His experience in elite sport gave him an understanding of training, discipline and competition, which later became useful as Iga developed her own career.Tomasz encouraged both of his daughters, Agata and Iga, to become involved in sport. However, he wanted them to choose an individual discipline rather than a team sport. Iga initially tried swimming but did not enjoy it because she was afraid of the water. Tennis soon became the better fit.In interviews, Iga has explained that her older sister played a key role in that decision. Agata, who is three years older, was already playing tennis, and Iga wanted to follow her example. Their competitive relationship also pushed Iga forward. She recalled that she often competed with Agata when they were younger and usually lost, which gave her extra motivation to improve.Iga eventually turned that early rivalry into a professional career. She started playing tennis at around six or seven and quickly showed the ability to compete at a high level. In 2020, she made history by becoming the first Polish player to win a Grand Slam singles title when she captured the French Open.Tomasz remained closely involved throughout much of that journey. He served as the head of Iga’s coaching team until 2024, before stepping back to give his daughter greater independence. Even after leaving that formal role, he has continued to support her at tournaments and speak publicly about her career.Dorota and Agata built careers away from tennisWhile Tomasz and Iga became closely associated with competitive sport, Dorota Swiatek followed a different professional path. She is an orthodontist and has worked in the field since 1991. Her professional work focuses on orthodontic treatment, including dental alignment problems and other defects.Dorota has also emphasized that her daughter’s happiness matters more to her than trophies. In a 2020 interview with Polish outlet Super Express, she said she was proud of Iga’s achievements but cared most about seeing her do something she genuinely loved. She was also not shocked by Iga’s breakthrough at the 2020 French Open, having watched her development for many years.Agata followed their mother into the medical profession. After playing junior tennis, she stopped competing around 2015-2016 after an injury. She later graduated from the Medical University of Lublin in 2022 and began working as a dentist, with an interest in periodontology.Despite taking different professional paths, the Swiatek family has remained closely connected. Iga’s story shows how her parents provided support in different ways, while her sister’s example helped spark the competitive drive that eventually took her to the biggest stages in tennis.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.