She talks fast and she plays tennis like she’s in a hurry. Iga Swiatek combines that speed of action with precision. As her quickly taken, however, often land within the lines. When the Polish whirlwind hastily strings the words together in her speech after a simple victory over eighteen-year-old American Coco Gauff in the final of Roland Garros (6-1 and 6-3), she does not forget Ukraine.
†Stay strong Ukraine”, says Swiatek, after which the Court Philippe-Chatrier long claps for her, and the victims of war. She has been playing tennis for months with a blue-yellow pin on her white cap, to encourage the Ukrainians. She will continue to do this until the war is over. It marks her current role in women’s tennis. She has become the undisputed number 1 in women’s tennis in record time.
Swiatek has little trouble with Gauff and wins Roland Garros
‘Cheap’ way
Iga Swiatek landed the number 1 spot on April 4 after Australia’s Ashleigh Barty abruptly retired. Everyone was happy that Barty had just emerged as a stable number 1. Swiatek moved up a spot in a ‘cheap’ way. She was suddenly the captain of the WTA tour, the one everyone looks at when asked for an opinion. She said before Roland Garros started that she had been taken by surprise by that situation and that she was a little anxious that she was now at the top of the rankings.
But where the tennis players of ‘Generation Z’ have excelled in volatility in recent years, with thirteen different grand slam winners since 2017, Swiatek has managed to profile itself as someone on whom tennis can build.
She doesn’t have the poster girl look of Maria Sharapova or the charisma of Serena Williams. But Polish is an outspoken personality who takes her sport and the world she lives in very seriously. Anyone who sees Swiatek behind a microphone at a press conference quickly forgets that she is only 21 and Polish is her native language. She answers questions fluently, in good English, fresh and sincere.
That became clear this week when former Grand Slam champion Amelie Mauresmo made a slip. The tournament director of Roland Garros said in defense that one of the ten evening parties in Paris was a women’s party, that men’s parties are more attractive. Swiatek was clear in her judgment. “Disappointing and surprising that she says that, especially because she was also a WTA player herself. I want my tennis to be entertainment for others too. In my opinion it is mainly personal preference whether someone likes men’s or women’s tennis more. I think women’s tennis has many advantages. It is unpredictable, players are often inconsistent. That is also very attractive.”
Wimbledon
Swiatek also spoke candidly about the menstrual pains of the Chinese Qinwen Zheng, her opponent in the fourth round who had indicated that she had suffered from them afterwards. She said she suffered from this at the beginning of her career. She was happy that Zheng was so open about it. That opens the door for others.
Swiatek was also willing to talk about the topic during Roland Garros – the lack of the Russians and White Russians at Wimbledon, which the ATP and WTA did decide to delete the ranking points for the grass tournament. She believes that the Russian players are not responsible for what their government is doing. “As number 1 I have a responsibility. But I don’t have that much life experience yet. When I’m ready to say more about this, you’ll notice.”
The player, who has been traveling with a sports psychologist for years, won her sixth tournament this year with Roland Garros. She’s been blowing everyone off the track for months. The Belarusian hardhitter Aryna Sabalenka, the number 7 in the world, defeated them 6-2, 6-1 and 6-2 6-2 in recent weeks. With 35 wins in a row, Swiatek has equaled Venus Williams and she has the record series of Monica Seles (36) and Martina Hingis (37) in sight.
On the track, Swiatek is the absolute number 1. With her extreme forehandle she makes the opponents run. She is fast, hits with a very fast tempo and can change direction from all angles. “She hits winners all the time,” said Coco Gauff before the final. And that is exactly what happened in Paris on Saturday. Gauff did not reach her level and was in tears after her first grand slam final.
Swiatek is in a period of her tennis career where she doesn’t seem to be able to miss a ball. Two years ago, as a nineteen-year-old, she surprisingly won the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen. This year she came to Paris as the favorite. She lived up to that role on and off the track. The question is who will stop her.