As well as everything is going so far for Iga Swiatek — the No. 1 ranking; three grand slam titles overall; a tour-high eight trophies and a 37-match winning streak in 2022 — the 21-yearold from Poland is always looking to improve.

One aspect she is striving to change at the moment? Being less tough on herself.

“I’m always going to have this part of me that is a perfectionist. When I’m not feeling comfortable on court, it’s kind of hard to not be harsh,” Swiatek said at Melbourne Park, where she is the top-seeded woman for the Australian Open and scheduled to play Jule Niemeier in Rod Laver Arena as the tournament gets started on Monday.

“On the other hand, the most important thing is kind of to find this balance that, on court, for sure I want to get better and better,” Swiatek continued, “but off the court, the things that happen on the practice day don’t have to influence my whole day and my whole mood.” A year ago, Swiatek reached the Australian Open semi-finals for the first time.

“We care so much and we give ourselves to this sport, that it’s sometimes tough to find this balance” between pushing oneself and easing up, Swiatek said. “But I’m getting better at it, for sure.”

She has won two of the past three major championships —at the French Open in June, then the US Open in September, when she needed three sets to come back and beat Niemeier, a 23-year-old from Germany currently ranked 69th, in the fourth round.

Niemeier reached thequarter finals at Wimbledonin July.

⚫ The Australian Open: Liveon Sony Sports Network from5.30 am, Monday.