Angelica Gavaldon reveals admiration for Polish star Iga Swiatek’s ‘powerful’ game | FirstSportz Exclusive

Iga Swiatek has won five Grand Slams and is the reigning Roland Garros champion, having won it three times in a row.

Angelica Gavaldon reveals admiration for Polish star Iga Swiatek’s ‘powerful’ game | FirstSportz Exclusive

Angelica Gavaldon and Iga Swiatek (via X)

Mexican retired player and former World No. 34 Angelica Gavaldon has expressed her admiration for World No. 2 Iga Swiatek on the recent podcast of Fantastic Tennis. Gavaldon, who retired from tennis in 2000, stays connected to the sport and closely followed this year’s Australian Open.

Gavaldon shared that she watched Swiatek exclusively during the San Diego event and was impressed by the power the Polish ace generated in her groundstrokes. Since retiring, Gavaldon has been involved in tennis coaching and has also launched a clothing line called Angalo Activewear.

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I love her [Iga Swiatek]. I love her game. I saw her play here in San Diego and its just unbelievable how powerful her game, her strokes are.

Angelica Gavaldon said in the recent episode of Fantastic Tennis

Swiatek is currently one of the best players in the world and the reigning Roland Garros champion. The right-hander is a five-time Grand Slam winner, with four of her titles coming in Paris.

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However, her success outside of clay has been less consistent. Her only Grand Slam victory outside France came at the US Open in 2022. At this year’s Australian Open, she lost a heartbreaking three-set semifinal to eventual champion Madison Keys despite having a match point on her serve.

The WTA Rankings update ft. Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek

Aryna Sabalenka held onto her World No. 1 ranking at the Australian Open despite pressure from Iga Swiatek. Sabalenka, who dropped 2,000 points at the start of the tournament, needed a strong performance to stay ahead. She did just that by reaching the final, while Swiatek lost in the semi-finals to Madison Keys.

Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka (3)
Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka (Image via X)

Although Sabalenka missed out on a third consecutive Australian Open title, her run to the final gave her a 186-point lead over Swiatek in the WTA Rankings. This marks her 23rd week as World No. 1, placing her 18th on the all-time list. She is just two weeks away from tying Naomi Osaka, who spent 25 weeks at the top.

Sabalenka has more good news as she only needs to defend 185 points in February. In contrast, Swiatek has to defend 1,390 points, making it easier for Sabalenka to hold her position. Meanwhile, Coco Gauff remains comfortably in third place, with Jasmine Paolini in fourth and Elena Rybakina back in the top five.

The biggest mover in the top 20 is Keys. Her first Grand Slam title earned her 2,000 points, lifting her to No. 7, matching her career-best ranking. Keys returns to the top 10 for the first time since 2023, and this is her highest ranking since 2019.