- Iga Swiatek took the tennis world by storm in 2022
- She won the US Open and French Open
- She never thought that she could win the US Open in 2022 but she did
Iga Swiatek took the tennis world by storm in the 2022 WTA Tour and set herself up for more scrutiny in 2023.
She won two Grand Slams out of four in a single season to become world No.1. Her fans don’t expect anything less in the 2023 season besides such a stellar performance.
Martina Navratilova, a former World No. 1, thinks Iga Swiatek will be the best player on the WTA Tour in 2023. Navratilova believes that Swiatek is the overwhelming favourite to keep the top rank for another year due to her consistency at WTA Tour competitions and her capacity to win Grand Slams.
When previous World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty announced her retirement in January 2022, Swiatek automatically rose to the top spot.
Iga Swiatek. Photo by Forbes
Swiatek demonstrated that she deserved her position by winning eight championships on the WTA Tour and two Grand Slams. Although she has two championships to defend in February and March, she is sure to keep the top spot for the full 12 months of her maiden reign.
These stats speak much about the next tennis star cementing her place in tennis history.
“I don’t see anybody knocking her off – because she’s so consistent. She wins majors – and she’s consistent. Usually, it’s one or the other. She’s got them both going on at the same time. I think to see if she’s making any changes, adding to her game again,” Navratilova told WTA.
“This past year, she made more forays to the net, and it made a big difference,” she added.
Swiatek played against a newly discovered grit. It is now possible that she will continue to improve. The current world No.1 felt her victory at Flushing Meadows gave her the courage in her tennis career.
Iga Swiatek. Photo/Eurosport
Swiatek believes that only the sky is the limit and she can achieve anything under the sun. She becomes the eighth woman to win a third major title before reaching the age of 22.
The US Open win was her first major victory of 2022 that did not come on the clay courts of the French Open. She beat Ons Jabeur of Tunisia in the New York Grand Slam finals.
In all this, she said she didn’t expect it. The 21-year-old experienced mixed feelings of surprise and astonishment after realizing she had made it.
The Pole walked home with a $2.6 million cash prize following her U.S Open win over Jabeur. She thrashed the Tunisian 6-2 7-6 (7-5) to lift her third major Grand Slam.
In the first part of this year, she won 37 consecutive matches, which enabled her to win six trophies in a row, including the French Open at Roland Garros.
Swiatek gradually restored her influence in New York after experiencing a slump in the fourth round of Wimbledon. It was this focus that led to her winning run in New York.
The three-time Grand Slam champion admitted that she had reservations about her ability at the beginning of the season. That’s even though she ranked ninth in the world at the time.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login