Swiatek and Gauff inspired by Liu’s Olympic gold after burnout return
Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff say they have drawn inspiration from figure skater Alysa Liu’s dramatic journey from teenage burnout to Olympic gold in Milano-Cortina.
The American skater stunned the sport by retiring aged 16 following the 2022 Beijing Games, citing mental exhaustion.
However, she returned to the ice to claim a historic gold medal at the Milano-Cortina Games last month, ending a 20-year wait for an American champion in the women’s event.
A psychological triumph
Swiatek, speaking ahead of the Indian Wells tournament, highlighted the mental resilience required for such a comeback.
“I think overall what happened in figure skating was super interesting, from a psychological point of view,” the Polish world number one said.
“I saw Liu winning when actually she had some troubles, like before she was burned out and she had to stop.”
The four-time major winner noted a distinct shift in Liu’s demeanour during her victorious performance in Italy.
“Now she seems like everything she does, she does to have fun and to really show her amazing skills in a way that makes her happy,” Swiatek added.
“I haven’t spoken to her… but it’s really inspiring. I’ll remember it for a long time.”
Relatable pressures
Liu returned to competition in 2024 with greater creative control over her music and routines, capturing the world title in Boston before her Olympic success.
Gauff admitted she could relate to the intense scrutiny, having burst onto the scene as a 15-year-old qualifier at Wimbledon in 2019.
“I think her whole story was super inspiring and I could highly relate as someone who was very young put into a sport,” the US Open champion said.
While Gauff clarified she has not experienced burnout herself, she acknowledged the mental fatigue elite sport can induce.
“There are times you’re mentally just tired of it and you feel like you’re doing stuff and you don’t know why,” she explained.
“I was happy to see her be that voice saying the unsaid things that athletes think but are maybe scared to say.”
