Athletes always find different ways to train to give themselves the edge on their competition.
World No 1 Iga Swiatek though has taken that one step further with a bizarre new method which has caught the curiosity of fans.
The 22-year-old Polish star was seen preparing for the WTA Pan Pacific quarterfinals Open in Tokyo Open with tape covering her mouth.
Pictures released from her training sessions show her swinging her racket with the tape over her mouth, as well as taking it off after the end of the session.
Swiatek’s decision to use tape left fans on social media questioning what benefits it brings to her training session
One fan simply wrote ‘what?’ while another said they were ‘very intrigued/confused by this.’
Kamakshi Tandon commented: ‘A lot of coaches are going to be very interested in this new training method.’
Meanwhile another fan joked: ‘How I need to train for every meeting with my extended family.’
However, another Twitter user revealed that Swiatek was ‘training for nose-breathing’.
They added: ‘It’s a more efficient and effective method of oxygen delivery to the body’s muscles, whoever has her training this way is smart tbh. They’re aiming for maximum endurance and knowing Iga, she’ll get there.’
