“Never gives up,” Iga Swiatek reveals pickings from her ‘idol’ Rafael Nadal’s Australian Open 2022 triumph
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Iga Swiatek Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal, the former World No. 1 tennis player, is currently on edge of the peak. After winning the Australian Open 2022, the Spaniard accomplished something no other guy in tennis history has ever done. The Spaniard won his 21st Grand Slam championship, becoming the first man to do so, surpassing tennis giants Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic in the Grand Slam rankings.
Not only that, but he’s unbeaten in all the 15 matches that he played in 2022, winning the Melbourne Summer Set 1, the Australian Open, and the Mexican Open along the way. The 35-year-old accomplished this milestone after contemplating retirement last year due to a severe foot injury, making it so much more remarkable. But the most iconic match of them was against Daniil Medvedev at the Australian Open when Rafa came back from a two-set deficit to win.
His victories pleased his fans all over the world, who eagerly awaited his heroism in the final against Daniil Medvedev. Iga Swiatek, the 2020 French Open champion, was one of those fans. The King Of Clay is her idol and she spoke of his greatness. She was asked what her pickings from the Australian Open final, where Nadal rallied to beat Medvedev in five sets were. The 20-year-old was full of praises, especially about his staunch mindset which she said hasn’t changed in 20 years.
She said in an interview with Times of India, “Never give up. I knew that Rafa’s mindset is that way, it has been that way for 20 years, He never gives up. In a match like the Australian Open final, I would’ve doubted myself, many other players would’ve doubted themselves too. But he was just focused on going forward, finding a solution. Being positive switched the dynamics of the match.”
The Polish’s novel approach, on the other hand, helped her win a WTA 1000 title and match her career-high position of No. 4 this week. The 20-year-old had a terrific summer in Australia, reaching the semifinals in both Adelaide and Melbourne Park. She also just won the finals of the Qatar Open, a first in her career.
“It felt surreal” Iga Swiatek on practising with Rafael Nadal
Fans aren’t the only ones that are ecstatic to see their heroes and favorite athletes. Even players on the tour share this sentiment. The World No. 9 from Poland, expressed her delight at meeting her idol for the first time last year. Swiatek revealed her admiration for the 20-time Grand Slam champion in an interview with the BBC. Prior to the French Open, both players practiced together. Swiatek stated, “I’m a big fan of Rafael Nadal.”
She also offered her impressions of Nadal, describing him as “really humble”. To Iga, “it doesn’t seem like the success has changed him (Rafa)”. Swiatek had revealed that she hopes to “be like Rafa”. Then she talked about how it felt to practice with Nadal at Roland Garros last year. When the two met, Swiatek couldn’t stop grinning for the next five minutes. “It felt surreal,” the Polish star said.
The Polish has always spoken highly of Rafa, and the Spaniard has also reverted by praising her game after her Australian Open semi-finals. Both the players are scheduled to play at the upcoming Indian Wells Masters starting on Thursday.
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Shilpi Pusadkar
(106 Articles Published)