Iga Swiatek reviews Taylor Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department” in Rome

ROME, Italy—Swifties assemble: Iga Swiatek has thoughts on The Tortured Poets Department.

The world No. 1/Elle Poland covergirl weighed in on Taylor Swift’s 31-song double album, which dropped in the middle of Swiatek’s Porsche Tennis Grand Prix campaign.

“I listened to it straightaway after Stuttgart,” she confirmed at her Internazionali BNL d’Italia Media Day press conference.

“I like it. I would say there are, like, seven songs that I really like. I made a playlist of all of them. I know Taylor wouldn’t approve of me listening to only some of them, but I have my picks.”

Swiatek had been critical of Midnights, Swift’s 2022 album that ultimately won big at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards in February, preferring the more dreamlike production featured on *Folklore* and *Evermore*.

“I feel like the words are so complicated that she focused more on that than the music itself,” she mused of TTPD fresh off winning her 20th career WTA title at the Mutua Madrid Open. “It’s less poppy. There’s not much beat or whatever.

“I feel like the melody is kind of adjusting to the words, if you know what I mean…but I like it. Totally different vibe than Midnights.”

Among her favorites, Swiatek listed “So Long, London,” “The Alchemist,” “The Albatross,” “Fortnight (featuring Post Malone),” “Florida!!! (featuring Florence and the Machine),” and “Chloe…”

“Chloe Sam Marcus something,” she finishes, giving a preemptive apology straight to camera.

“Now I’m going to get hate that I don’t remember titles and I’m not a real Swiftie. I’m sorry, guys. I’m not the best kind of Swiftie, but… Don’t judge me!”

Indeed, Swiatek, who is still holding out hope to attend The Eras Tour in 2024, is the closest women’s tennis has to Swift when it comes to delivering prolific excellence: coming into the seventh WTA 1000 tournament of the season, the four-time Grand Slam champion has already won three.

As the top seed in Rome, she aims for another “Fortnight” to remember, opening against either American Caroline Dolehide or a qualifier.