Iga Swiatek hopes not to be categorized as a ‘clay court player’ like idol Rafael Nadal
Iga Swiatek and Rafael Nadal have created a great reputation at Roland Garros, winning an unprecedented 18 Roland Garros titles combined.
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Iga Swiatek and Rafael Nadal (via X)
World No.2 Iga Swiatek wants to be strong on all surfaces like Rafael Nadal. She talked about how she is working to improve her game. Nadal has always been her idol, and she has learned from his playing style and mindset.
In an interview with The Athletic, Swiatek praised Nadal’s all-surface ability. She called him the greatest player on every surface and compared her style to his.
On clay, it’s a little bit easier because my topspin will jump higher and my movements will maybe be better than the other girls with the slides and the changes of direction. But on hard, I feel like I’m a good player too. It was the same with Rafa. Everyone was talking about clay, but he’s the greatest player of all time on all surfaces. He also won Wimbledon twice. Not all players can achieve results like that on one surface. It’s something that people focus on, and I talk about it too, because clay is where I have the most fun, but I also like hard courts. I feel like I have my weapons and I can use them. I want to be an all-surface player, for sure.
Iga Swiatek said in an interview to The Athletic
Nadal won 14 French Open titles, the most by any player at a single Grand Slam. The Spanish legend, who retired in November last year, won 22 Grand Slam titles in total. Although the legend has retired, but has been giving hints about his potential involvement in the game after hanging up his racket.
Swiatek has also been dominant at the French Open. She has won four of her five Grand Slam titles on the clay courts of Roland Garros. Her first major win came at the 2020 French Open, and she has won four of the last five editions.
Iga Swiatek sets sensational Qatar Open record
Iga Swiatek made history at the Qatar Open and reached a big WTA 1000 milestone. She defeated Elena Rybakina 6-2, 7-5 in the quarter-finals. Swiatek played strong tennis, breaking Rybakina’s serve twice to take the first set in just 32 minutes.
In the second set, the world No. 2 was down 4-2 but made a strong comeback. She won five of the last six games to beat the 2022 Wimbledon champion. Swiatek now has a 5-3 record against Rybakina. She also won against her last month at the United Cup.
Swiatek is aiming for her fourth straight Qatar Open title. She has now won 15 matches in a row in Doha, the longest streak since the event started in 2001. She also earned her 100th WTA 1000 win in just 121 matches. Only Serena Williams reached this milestone faster, in 115 matches.
The Polish star is also the second youngest to reach 100 WTA 1000 wins, after Caroline Wozniacki. Swiatek will play Jelena Ostapenko or Ons Jabeur in the semi-finals. The 23-year-old shared her thoughts on the challenges of facing both players.
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Fahad Hamid
(716 Articles Published)