Iga Swiatek ended a crazy year 2022 with a grimace, surprised in the semi-finals of the Masters in Fort Worth by Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka.
She started the year 2023 in tears, after a defeat against the American Jessica Pegula in the semi-finals of the United Cup in Sydney, but Iga Swiatek remains the one who, in recent months, has enlightened women's tennis.
The one who, “
ready for celebrity
”, as the New York Times famously took up the torch to accompany the advent of a new era, with Carlos Alcaraz in particular.
To discover
Australian Open: men's schedule and results
Australian Open: ladies schedule and results
Iga Swiatek (21) will never forget the year 2022. She started working with a new coach Tomasz Witkorowski who gave her a new look.
On March 25, she became the new queen, the first Polish woman to sit at the top of the world rankings.
Far from crushing her, the estate of Australian Ashleigh Barty, who retired at 25 after her Australian Open title, offered her to take flight.
Iga Swiatek (67 wins -9 losses last year) thus signed a series of 37 consecutive victories (stopped in the 3rd round at Wimbledon by Alizé Cornet) and pocketed eight titles, including two Grand Slams (Roland-Garros, then the US Open), becoming the first since German Angelique Kerber in 2016 to win two major titles in the same season.
Before trusting the prices.
She was, pell-mell, rewarded in December with the title of sports personality of the year in Poland (a first for a tennis player since Jadwiga Jedrzejowska in 1937) ahead of the FC Barcelona striker and captain of the Polish national team. Robert Lewandowski and was elected European sports personality 2022 (prize awarded since 1958 by European press agencies) ahead of Swedish pole vaulter Armand Duplantis and Formula 1 world champion, Dutchman Max Verstappen.
A year in which she amassed 9.8 million dollars (9.1 million euros) in earnings on the circuit (just a little less than Novak Djokovic, the 2022 court record holder, with 9.9 million) .
year in Poland (a first for a tennis player since Jadwiga Jedrzejowska in 1937) ahead of FC Barcelona striker and captain of the Polish national team Robert Lewandowski and was elected European sports personality 2022 (prize awarded since 1958 by press agencies European) ahead of Swedish pole vaulter Armand Duplantis and Formula 1 world champion, Dutchman Max Verstappen.
A year in which she amassed 9.8 million dollars (9.1 million euros) in earnings on the circuit (just a little less than Novak Djokovic, the 2022 court record holder, with 9.9 million) .
year in Poland (a first for a tennis player since Jadwiga Jedrzejowska in 1937) ahead of FC Barcelona striker and captain of the Polish national team Robert Lewandowski and was elected European sports personality 2022 (prize awarded since 1958 by press agencies European) ahead of Swedish pole vaulter Armand Duplantis and Formula 1 world champion, Dutchman Max Verstappen.
A year in which she amassed 9.8 million dollars (9.1 million euros) in earnings on the circuit (just a little less than Novak Djokovic, the 2022 court record holder, with 9.9 million) .
Polish national team Robert Lewandowski and was elected European sports personality 2022 (prize awarded since 1958 by European press agencies) ahead of Swedish pole vaulter Armand Duplantis and Formula 1 world champion, Dutchman Max Verstappen.
A year in which she amassed 9.8 million dollars (9.1 million euros) in earnings on the circuit (just a little less than Novak Djokovic, the 2022 court record holder, with 9.9 million) .
Polish national team Robert Lewandowski and was elected European sports personality 2022 (prize awarded since 1958 by European press agencies) ahead of Swedish pole vaulter Armand Duplantis and Formula 1 world champion, Dutchman Max Verstappen.
A year in which she amassed 9.8 million dollars (9.1 million euros) in earnings on the circuit (just a little less than Novak Djokovic, the 2022 court record holder, with 9.9 million) .
Swiatek at the top.
Coming from a family of athletes, her father, a rowing specialist, participated in the Seoul Olympics in 1988, in quadruple, she followed in the footsteps of her big sister on the tennis courts.
And quickly distinguished herself (winner, in 2018, of the Wimbledon junior tournament in 2018 and doubles at Roland-Garros).
Nadal fan, compared to Djokovic
Titled last September at the US Open, the Pole wore a white tracksuit jacket adorned with an inscription “
1GA
” – the number of her world ranking replacing the I of her first name.
Above, shone the three gold stars symbolizing his three major titles (Roland-Garros 2020 and 2022, US Open 2022).
The collection could soon expand.
Swiatek, clay court specialist, fan of Rafael Nadal and compared to Novak Djokovic for his hard court skills.
"
I think right now she's by far the best player, she's a fantastic athlete, I don't think I've ever seen a young woman slipping like her around every corner, she kind of reminds me of Novak (Djokovic).
So I would be surprised if she didn't win at least two more Roland-Garros, and as she learned to play on the hard courts, so there's no doubt that she's the favorite in all the tournaments that she plays.
She has to be careful with her calendar, I don't think she's winning for 37 games, the players will attack her, but I would be very surprised if she doesn't win
“, has, on Eurosport, assured John McEnroe.
The Polish woman, at the start of the season, shed light on the certainties and doubts that accompany it: "
Compared to last year at the same time (she was eliminated in the Australian Open semi-finals by American Danielle Collins) I am more solid and I feel more stable.
I feel like I've had more time to work on technical things at home.
With any luck, I'll be able to use it.
But every day or every month there is something brewing, and suddenly you realize that you have somehow lost your balance.
But I have good people around me who also help me deal with that, because, you know, I'm a perfectionist, so without them I'd probably be working 24/7. I try not to waste energy on things that have no
importance.
»
In Melbourne, she will begin her campaign against Germany's Jule Niemeier (68th in the world).
In the round of 16, the Pole could face the American Danielle Collins (14th), finalist last year, then Coco Gauff (7th), finalist at the last Roland-Garros, and finally Jessica Pegula (3rd) in the semi-finals.
In 2017, surprise winner at Roland-Garros, renamed Poland Garros by the Polish sports daily Przeglad Sportowy, Iga Swiatek (54th in the world) who recalled the tornado Gustavo Kuerten during his first coronation in yellow and blue in 1997 assured: "
The biggest challenge is going to be to stay consistent.
This is the problem in women's tennis.
That's why there are so many new Grand Slam winners, because we're not as consistent as Rafa and Novak can be.
That's why my goal will be to stay consistent, and it will be difficult to get there.
The Polish, still in search of confirmation, is in the process of achieving it…
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