“It Will Motivate Me Even More”: Iga Swiatek Claims BJK Cup Heart Award After Stellar Play-Offs Performance
Iga Swiatek has been named the Billie Jean King Cup Heart Award winner following her notable performances in the play-offs held a few weeks ago. The six-time major champion led her country to a perfect campaign, topping their group against Romania and New Zealand
After the tournament held its Finals in Shenzhen in September—with Italy emerging as champions for the second consecutive year—the Poles, having been eliminated in the qualifiers, competed in the play-offs a couple of months later. They successfully secured their spot back in the Qualifiers, set to take place in April 2026.
The stage featured 21 nations divided into seven groups of three, played in a round-robin format hosted by one of the nations in each group. The Polish team hosted the event in Gorzow Wielkopolski on indoor hard courts and secured six consecutive victories to clear the group stage with a 6-0 match record (12-0 in sets).
Swiatek was ruthless in her performances, dropping just three games across her two matches. On the first day, she defeated New Zealander Elyse Tse 6-0, 6-1, securing the second point for the Poles against the Oceania nation. Two days later, she defeated Gabriela Lee 6-2, 6-0, booking Poland’s spot in the Qualifiers and eliminating Romania.
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Swiatek led a squad that also included Katarzyna Kawa and Linda Klimovicova (both playing one singles and one doubles match) and Martyna Kubka—the specialist who featured as the doubles player in both ties for the European team.
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Swiatek’s performances in the Billie Jean King Cup have once again put Poland a step closer to fighting for qualification to the Finals in Shenzhen. The Polish team joins nations like Canada, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic in qualifying from the play-offs—all teams that had been eliminated prior to the 2025 Finals
Swiatek’s performances earned her the BJK Cup Heart Award, which honors the best individual performance by a player during a specific stage of the tournament events. Swiatek received 70% of the public vote thanks to her two singles performances, which were crucial in securing Poland’s qualification.
