Iga Swiatek was the defending champion, heading into this year’s US Open. She had already won the title at the French Open this year and reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon. Swiatek was going for her fifth grand slam title at the US Open but could not get past the fourth round. It was a defeat that affected her mentally, and she said that she would follow the advice of the “big three” in tennis to have a fresh mindset.
Swiatek opened up about the pressure of being on top of the tour and handling the defeats professionally. She said that people had been discussing her defending the titles, rankings, and points, which made her think similarly. She said, “I don’t need to defend anything and sport is a cycle of constant changes.” Swiatek will now be focusing on events rather than her rankings or points.
Some of my thoughts about… defeding. 😉
Many thanks for all your support on my first journey as a no 1 in women’s tennis. 🫶🏼#keepgoing #gettingstarted pic.twitter.com/kbvrCxE0qB
— Iga Świątek (@iga_swiatek) September 6, 2023
The US Open has been a platform for change in the sport and launched mental health services for players in 2021. This time, they held the Mental Health Forum headed by USTA Board President Dr. Brian Hainline with Michael Phelps, Naomi Osaka, and Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy. The discussion highlighted the importance of mental health and how one can improve their state of mind.
Michael Phelps offers game-changing advice to Iga Swiatek
Michael Phelps has been a patron of mental health since speaking about his own experiences with mental health. The most decorated Olympian in history, with 23 gold and 28 medals overall, opened up in 2018 about struggling with depression. Phelps spoke about his struggle as an athlete in the mental health forum at the US Open and advised people to reach out to their loved ones in need.
Phelps also had few words to light up the spirits of Iga Swiatek. He said,” Everything isn’t perfect, right? There are times where, you know, races didn’t go as planned for me. So, it’s just preparation. In one ear, out the other. Don’t worry about it.” The 38-year-old also said that wins and losses are a part of an athlete’s life.
Swiatek has been speaking to fellow sportspersons on various challenges in the sport. She will return on tour to tackle the obstacles again and embrace the new feeling. Swiatek will play next at the WTA 1000 AKRON Guadalajara Open which is expected to start on the 17th of September. The Polish player will surely leave an impact at the event.