- World No 1 tennis star Iga Swiatek Australian Open 2024 run will better
- Swiatek feels she is better prepared for the first Grand Slam of the year
- The Pole won each of her first three singles matches at the United Cup where she represented Poland
World No 1 tennis star Iga Swiatek Australian Open 2024 run will better and bigger than it was in 2023, she says.
Swiatek feels she is better prepared for the first Grand Slam of the year than she was last year. The Pole won each of her first three singles matches at the United Cup where she represented Poland.
Poland entered with the highest seeding, and she has played a part in five of their eight victories in nine tries at winning matches.
Iga Swiatek Australian Open 2024
Her performance at the United Cup mirrors her preparedness for the WTA 2024 season. She is looking forward to improving her performance to a fifth Grand Slam.
Iga Swiatek. Photo/A Sports TV
She made it to the 2022 Australian Open semi-finals but lost to Danielle Collins in straight sets (6-4, 6-1). While she didn’t claim the title, it was still a strong performance, especially considering she won her first three matches without dropping a set.
However, her performance at the United Cup is encouraging her to continue pushing hard.
“I feel like I’m playing well, and I [have] made progress compared to last year. I feel like I have more skills to play on these faster hard courts. I just feel like I can really be in a good place physically and mentally,” she said in Sydney where the United Cup is underway.
Iga Swiatek United Cup
Swiatek has achieved another remarkable feat, solidifying her position among tennis elites. Holding the World No. 1 spot for the majority of the 2023 season, the 22-year-old filled the void left by the departure of Australian Ashleigh Barty.
Adding to her impressive list of accomplishments, Swiatek has now secured 100 victories as the No. 1 player in the world, maintaining the top position for over 80 weeks.
As the reigning French Open champion, she currently participates in the United Cup, representing Poland in both singles and mixed doubles categories.
In team competitions, she continues to exhibit her winning streak, claiming her 100th victory and joining the esteemed company of WTA legends.
She draws inspiration from tennis legends such as Serena Williams, Justine Henin, Martina Hingis, Monica Seles, Steffi Graf, Martina Navratilova, and Chris Evert.
Those who are aware of Swiatek’s dominance at the top of the rankings know she stops at nothing to make her dreams come true.
Still, the four-time Grand Slam champion hopes to add another Major trophy to her collection when she competes in the Australian Open in 2024.
Polish tennis star Iga Swiatek. Photo/Sky Ports
Iga Swiatek Under Pressure to Win Grand Slams?
Ironically though, she earlier stated that she wasn’t under pressure to win another Grand Slam yet.
Swiatek stole the show in 2022 winning two Grand Slams in a row and several Masters 1000 events. Come 2023, she found herself diving into insurmountable pressure to win more Grand Slams. She managed to defend her French Open title.
Swiatek acknowledges that there was pressure at the start of the year from admirers all over the world who wanted her to keep up her winning run, though.
With time, she came to understand that these expectations can psychologically drive her over the edge and have an impact on her performance.
She overcame it, and at this time, she doesn’t feel pressured to win a significant competition. The four-time Grand Slam champion believes she still has a lot of years to compete professionally and achieve her greatest tennis victories.
“I’m 22, so I still have a lot of time probably, more than like 10 years. So I’m doing my best to win every tournament I play at. But yeah, I’m not rushing it because I’ve already won four Slams,” Tennis 365 cites.
The three-time French Open champion adds that her focus is playing better on the grass courts of London but she is aware that she needs a few more years to do this.
“I think I need a couple of more years to play on grass… so, I’m not rushing,” she states.
Tennis pundits pointed out that her US Open loss had a lot to do with her style of play and confidence.
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