“I wouldn’t even dream of being compared to them”- Iga Swiatek elated after joining elite list with rare ‘Sunshine Double’ feat
Iga Swiatek
Newly crowned World No.1 Iga Swiatek defeated Naomi Osaka in the summit clash at the 2022 Miami Open to clinch her 3rd straight title of the year. The Pole looked in cruise control throughout the match and extended her winning streak to 17 matches with a 6-4, 6-0 win over the 4-time Grand Slam champion.
Swiatek capped off her ascent to World No.1 by breaking multiple records. She became the fourth and the youngest woman to capture the ‘Sunshine Double.’ She joins the elite company of Steffi Graf, Kim Clijsters, and Victoria Azarenka, all former No.1 players and Grand Slam champions.
Needless to say, Swiatek was elated over joining the elite list. In her interview with the Tennis Channel, Swiatek said she couldn’t even compare herself to such legends, but now she is ranked among them.
“It’s just hard to even describe, you know these are these kinds of players I wouldn’t even dream of being you know compared to them. It means a lot. I gave my all the past few weeks, it wasn’t easy keeping the streak at the end I just went on court and played my game, cause you know the court looks the same in every place. I wanted to just focus on that and keep it cool,” she said.
“I feel like I’m a complete player”: Iga Swiatek after Miami Open triumph
After winning three titles on the trot and ascending to World No.1 ranking, Swiatek says she is not yet done and hungry for more. She was already guaranteed to top spot after her win in the Miami Opener, but that did not slow her down as she went on to extend her winning streak to 17 matches and clinch the title without dropping a set.
“I am still hungry and I don’t wanna lose and win every match basically. For sure it hit me when Ash gave her announcement, but then I realize I have matches to win. When the tournament started, I just kept going because I knew I cant focus on ranking, I have to focus on my tennis. I was also thing about players like you [Martina Navratilova] and Steffi Graf, who had their own streaks. I mean you are inspiring [Navratilova] and you should us that it’s possible.“
Swiatek started working under new coach, Tomasz Witkorowski at the start of the season. The Pole has thrived under the mentorship of Witkorowski, who earlier coached Swiatek’s compatriot Agnieska Radwanska. She credited her recent resurgence to the change in her game plan that her coach brought in.
“Having more variety in my game is something I’m really proud of. He had to convince me to learn to practice more approach formations and you know going forward, so I can be more dominant and put pressure on my opponents. Because last season, I felt like they are putting pressure on me I can only stay on the baseline and run. Now it’s totally different, I have both of these things. I feel like I’m a complete player but still not complete yet,” she added.
T Rushitha
(360 Articles Published)