Why tennis pro Iga Swiatek trains with her mouth taped shut

Women's number 1

She is the number one women's tennis player in the world, Iga Swiatek. Now photos have appeared showing an unusual training technique of the 22-year-old Pole...

First Pole to win a Grand Slam

Iga Swiatek was born in Warsaw in 2001, she has won the French Open three times and is the first Polish woman to win a singles Grand Slam tournament.

End in the quarterfinals

At the last Grand Slam tournament in Wimledon, Swiatek - although she was considered the favorite of the competition - was unable to assert herself against her opponent Elena Svitolina and was eliminated in the quarter-finals...

Reason for unusual method?

Perhaps that's why Swiatek resorted to an unusual method during her training in Montreal, Canada...

Taped mouth

She taped her mouth shut! So far there has been no statement from the tennis pro about the reasons or benefits of this method but the Bild newspaper makes a guess...

Photo: Screenshot YouTube/ News Plus

Nasal breathing energy efficient

With the tape over his mouth, Swiatek can only breathe through his nose. And according to studies, this should be more energy-efficient...

Energy saving

Inhaling the same amount of oxygen through the nose as opposed to the mouth saves energy.

Small differences

These are only small differences, but these can be decisive in top-class sport.

Out in Montreal

Despite the new method, Swiatek was not able to win in Montreal - she lost in the semifinals to the American Jessica Pegula.

Proof will be in the pudding

So it remains to be seen whether Swiatek's new training method will help her win again in the long term.