Iga Swiatek continues her Wimbledon preparations this week by taking on the WTA 500 Bad Homburg in Germany.
And the Pole has recently become the top seed at the tournament, having taken that spot after the withdrawal of Elena Rybakina.
It is her first event since the French Open, where Swiatek won three matches before falling to Marta Kostyuk in the fourth round.
Bad Homburg, therefore, represents her first appearance on grass in the 2026 WTA season, which is building towards Wimbledon.
Swiatek will be looking to find her feet on the surface before the Grand Slam, but she has been handed a very tricky potential route to the final of the tournament.
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Iga Swiatek handed tough Bad Homburg draw
As the top seed, Swiatek has received a bye directly into round two, where she will meet either Emma Navarro or wildcard Eva Lys.
If she makes it beyond that test, the six-time Grand Slam champion is likely to play against Linda Noskova, who has just reached the final in Berlin.
Swiatek could then be tasked with playing against fourth seed Karolina Muchova, or indeed Diana Shnaider, who beat WTA number one Aryna Sabalenka at the French Open.
And should she make it all the way to the final in Germany, second seed Mirra Andreeva – the French Open champion – or third seed Elina Svitolina could be waiting.
Other potential opponents along the way include Iva Jovic, Naomi Osaka and Alex Eala, in what is a high-quality field.
Iga Swiatek under pressure to perform in Bad Homburg
Swiatek did, of course, set a target on her back on grass when she won her first Wimbledon title last summer.
And it certainly didn’t help in that regard that she thrashed Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 at the All England Club in London.
But the Pole has yet to emulate such success in the 2026 season, from which she has yet to claim a WTA title.
| Result | Year | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
| Win | 2020 | French Open | Clay | Sofia Kenin | 6–4, 6–1 |
| Win | 2022 | French Open | Clay | Coco Gauff | 6–1, 6–3 |
| Win | 2022 | US Open | Hard | Ons Jabeur | 6–2, 7–6(7–5) |
| Win | 2023 | French Open | Clay | Karolina Muchova | 6–2, 5–7, 6–4 |
| Win | 2024 | French Open | Clay | Jasmine Paolini | 6–2, 6–1 |
| Win | 2025 | Wimbledon | Grass | Amanda Anisimova | 6-0, 6-0 |
Swiatek, who enters Bad Homburg with a 21-10 win-loss record, will be eager to end that winning drought this week.
But given her draw it won’t be easy, with her main rivals also looking to build momentum at the perfect time for Wimbledon, which starts later this month.
Of course, being the top seed comes with perks, but it also comes with plenty of pressure, with many expecting her to win the warm-up tournament in Germany.
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