MELBOURNE, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Iga Swiatek heads into Melbourne Park with the Australian Open title the only gap on her Grand Slam resume, but the world number two is keen to avoid setting herself targets for the new season and says her main goal is to improve her game.
The 24-year-old Pole has won majors on the hard courts of Flushing Meadows, the Paris clay and the grass of Wimbledon but has never managed to reach the final at the year's opening Grand Slam, going out twice in the semi-finals.
"For now I'm not setting results goals," she told Polish sports news website Sportowy24 last month.
"I am focusing on developing technically and in terms of my tennis game itself."
Swiatek is renowned for her grit and intensity on tour but the former world number one was forced to revaluate her approach after failing to secure a semi-final spot at the season-ending WTA Finals for a second straight year in November.
She has spoken about the physical and mental toll the punishing tour schedule takes on players and said in Beijing in September that the season was too long and too intense.
Just before Christmas she told Sportowy24 that she felt refreshed after spending more time at home than usual.
She has also worked with sports psychologist Daria Abramowicz, often crediting with helping shape her preparation and routines and publicly defending their work together amid questions about the partnership.
"I hope the preparation period will mean that in the new season I will play well, solidly, and that I will learn something new," said Swiatek, who suffered a heartbreaking semi-final loss to eventual champion Madison Keys last year in Australia.
After the peace of Poland, Swiatek will be plunged into the maelstrom of the Grand Slam at Melbourne Park, which kicks off on January 18 and crowns a women's champion after two punishing weeks of summer heat.
The disappointment of a 3-6 6-0 6-3 loss to Swiss Belinda Bencic in the final of the United Cup on a similarly fast Sydney surface on Sunday was tempered by the fact that Poland ultimately won the trophy.
"I'm still here, nothing crazy happened," Swiatek reassured her fans.
"Everything is fine, just super sore. I guess, first tournament of the year it costs everybody a bit differently than during the season."
The Australian Open boasts 11 Grand Slam champions with top seed Aryna Sabalenka among the title favourites, and Swiatek will have little time to ease herself back into elite competition mode.
While Swiatek will be keen to avoid discussing it, the Pole could complete the career Grand Slam if she walks away with the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup.
The claycourt specialist has won four of her majors at Roland Garros and showed a different side to her game by winning on the hard courts of the U.S. Open in 2022.
Her 6-0 6-0 thrashing of Amanda Anisimova in the Wimbledon final last July showed she can adapt and it would be no surprise if she finally gets to grips with the Melbourne Park surface this time around.
(Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
