Iga Świątek’s Wimbledon Trophy Taken Away for the Same Reason as Coco Gauff

14 months of frustration evaporated for Iga Świątek as she found herself laying on the grass surface of the Centre Court. The reigning queen of clay took a moment to herself then went to the net to hug her American opponent, Amanda Anisimova. And a switch, off for way too long, just turned on. Świątek smiled, knowing what she had just achieved. She jumped across the court as the 15,000-strong crowd applauded her with deafening thunders of claps; something she truly deserved today.

In what can only be described as a tennis annihilation, the first-ever Polish tennis player to ever win in Wimbledon got the better of Anisimova in just 57 minutes with a mind-numbing 6-0, 6-0 victory—a double bagel. All she could muster was “I feel like tennis keeps surprising me, and I keep surprising myself.” And as Princess Kate Middleton presented her with the Venus Rosewater Dish, the 24-year-old couldn’t help but keep looking at the silver beauty in her hands. After her interview, she made her way down the hallway towards the south-east balcony, ready to lift the title over her head to show the world her latest achievement.

Surely, Świątek was all smiles still as she jumped through the length of the balcony as the crowd below cheered and applauded her victory. Even Tennis pundit Tracy Austin couldn’t help but comment how “She keeps looking at it! It’s so beautiful to see her smiling.” But that surprise… that was waiting for Świątek, wearing a deep purple suit in the form of All England Club CEO Sally Bolton. While the winner took photos, gave interviews, and showed off the silver antique to the world, what she didn’t realize was that her time with it was already ticking away.

Snap!
The magic cracked!

As BBC host Clare Balding was soaking everything in, saying, “It looks so lovely that side of the clubhouse and it’s just great, you’ve got your hands on this trophy…,” Marion Bartoli dropped a bomb that froze the moment in time. The 2013 Wimbledon champion informed Balding and Austin, “But she can’t keep it. You only get a replica of it.

“This one goes back into the trophy gallery. You will have it at the Champions Ball in your hand again, then it will go back to the trophy gallery. You don’t go back home with that trophy, there is only one place and it stays in the trophy gallery at Wimbledon.”

Świątek, of course, still goes home with a symbol of her triumph. Bartoli confirmed, “Three-quarters size, but all the names are engraved, all the names of the past champions who have graced that court before you are engraved with the replica you can take home. But it’s only three-quarters size. But it’s still beautiful.”

Wait… what? The trophy Iga Świątek had just fought for, crushing her opponent, wasn’t hers to keep? Exactly. Why? Well, heritage!

Like every Wimbledon champion before her, Iga Świątek learned the hard way that the real Venus Rosewater Dish never leaves the All England Club. Only one original exists, locked away in the trophy gallery. It all started back in the 1880s; legends like William Renshaw won consecutive titles and kept the trophies permanently, including the original Field Cup and its successor.

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Faced with the loss of these irreplaceable trophies, the All England Club decided in 1887 to introduce “perpetual” trophies—the originals remain on-site forever, securely housed in Wimbledon’s trophy gallery. Today, this tradition continues: champions are celebrated on court with the actual trophies, photographed and cheered, but then the trophies are gently returned to Wimbledon staff.

The Collections Manager at the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum, Eleanor Thomas, told ABC News last year, “We have a dedicated team of conservators who clean and polish the trophies annually. This ensures they remain in pristine condition despite their age and the wear from being handled by champions.”

So yes, after basking in her hard-earned triumph, trophy in hand, Iga Świątek’s fairytale moment took an unexpected turn. Bolton approached and took the trophy from her hands as Bartoli chuckled wondering what the CEO told the winner, “You have to give it back now!”

After a win as ruthless and historic as hers, Świątek’s brief time with the trophy may now feel like the only thing that was truly fleeting. And surprisingly, she’s not alone; just weeks earlier, Coco Gauff experienced the exact same thing.

The trophy was Coco Gauff’s until history stepped in

On June 8, 2025, Coco Gauff claimed her first Grand Slam singles title by defeating Iga Świątek in the French Open final at Roland Garros. It was a landmark moment, not only for Gauff’s career but also for American tennis, as she became the first American woman since Serena Williams to win the French Open.

During the post-match ceremony, Gauff was handed the Coupe Suzanne-Lenglen, the iconic trophy awarded to the women’s singles champion in Paris. She smiled, posed with it, and lifted it high for the world to see. But just like Wimbledon, the French Open follows a long-standing tradition: the trophy awarded on-court is not the one the champion gets to keep.

A few days after the final, Coco Gauff revealed this in a playful TikTok video that went viral. In it, she held up the tiny version of the trophy she received and said: “This is the trophy that you guys see… but actually, we don’t get to take this home… It’s like a mini replica of the trophy… Really small… It’s the memories that matter the most.”

The replica she showed was barely bigger than a water bottle, leaving many surprised that such a monumental achievement came with such a modest keepsake. It sparked curiosity and debate across social media, with many asking the same thing: Can athletes refuse to give back the original trophy?

If an athlete ever refused to return the original Wimbledon trophy, the tournament organizers would have the legal and logistical authority to reclaim it immediately. Such an act could result in serious consequences, including fines, suspension, or even a ban from future events.

While no champion has ever taken that route, Roger Federer did push for change in 2018, not through rebellion, but by action. He personally funded a larger, three-quarter-sized replica after calling the original one “very small.” Thanks to him, champions like Iga Świątek now receive a more fitting version of tennis glory.

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