Iga Swiatek has gone through a difficult phase in her career this season. There were doubts and fears about her for the whole season. But Swiatek gripped through and fought hard to overcome the struggle. She finished the season in perfect fashion and silenced her haters. Swiatek, however, came through clean when it mattered.
The world No. 1 had faced a similar situation a few years ago. Players from other regions were more successful than Swiatek. She said, “The community did not fully believe in my success as an adult player. The Russians won more then, & the Americans had Serena Williams.” Swiatek then revealed that Agnieszka Radwanska had set the path for her and given her the needed motivation to continue her dominance on the court.
Iga Swiatek says people didn’t believe in her success when she was younger, but Agnieszka Radwanska paved the way:
“At that stage I felt that, despite the fact that my results were similar to players from other countries, the community did not fully believe in my success as an… pic.twitter.com/10R2jOqWOw
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) November 24, 2023
Radwanska had reached a career-best No. 2 on the WTA tour. She retired from the game in 2018 and reached the Grand Slam final once in 2012 at Wimbledon. Radwanska’s success on the tour inspired Swiatek to go forward in her career. The 22-year-old was playing on the ITF tour when the former Polish player bid farewell to the game. Swiatek has now created her legacy in the sport.
Iga Swiatek reveals the mindset change that helped her in the 2023 season
Swiatek had a record-breaking 2022 season. She had won two grand slams and reached the semifinals at the Australian Open. She won 67 matches and also had a 37-match winning streak. Swiatek was riding high on her dominance and had a defensive mindset at the start of the 2023 season. She was only focused on winning titles and was not happy with any other result.
The four-time grand slam champion could not win titles in January this year. She then changed her mindset, which helped her win the first title of the year at Doha. Swiatek only lost five games in three matches at Doha. In the next event in Dubai, she reached the finals while losing to Barbora Krejcikova for the second time on tour. Krejcikova had beaten her at the final in Ostrava last year.
Iga Swiatek is starting her 100th consecutive week in the top 10.
This will also be her 122nd week in the top 10 in total.
At just 22 years old, her accomplishments have already cemented her as a future legend of the sport.
Her game is built to last & her mindset is one of… pic.twitter.com/AkHVdCl1L6
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) September 24, 2023
Swiatek focused more on her mental conditions this season. Her physical fitness on the court has remained steady and strong. The mindset was an issue this season, but Swiatek has been able to recover and play more confidently. She will be aiming to extend her stay on top of the rankings next season and play with the new mindset that helped her this season.