World No. 1 Polish tennis player Iga Swiatek has accomplished a lot in her professional career at the age of 21. Swiatek’s number of WTA tour-level titles has reached a record 11, and he has already won three Grand Slam singles titles. That’s not all, the Polish player is the first player to win a major singles title by representing Poland and also set a record. 37 game winning streak – The longest of the WTA Tour in the 21st century.
Despite all these achievements, mop Wilander, The Swedish former world No. 1 player lags behind the now retired Australian star Ashleigh Barty. Talking about the favorites of the Australian Open win Diryah Tennis CupWilander chose Iga Swiatek as the Australian Open favorite after Ash Barty’s retirement from tennis.
Wilander selected Swiatek is his favorite to win the Australian Open 2023. “After what they showed in 2022, Swiatek is clearly starting out in front of everyone” she said, pointing to the difference between her and Ashleigh Barty. “Iga is very strong and good at everything he does but inevitably fails to excite like an Australian”, Willander made it clear that Pole would have to go a long way to fill the Australian’s place.
He also talked about the overall loss to the tennis world following Ashleigh Barty’s retirement. “Personally, I believe the WTA circuit paid a lot for Barty to retire. Ash had a great game with a classic backhand befitting great champions. Above all, he was one of a kind in the women’s scene. said Wilander.
Earlier this year, the three-time sole Grand Slam winner surprised the tennis world by announcing that he was unexpectedly quitting at the age of 26.
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Iga Swiatek explains how Rafael Nadal’s Australian Open victory inspired him
World number 1 Iga Swiatek admitted it was very inspiring to witness Rafael Nadal’s spectacular return in the 2022 Australian Open final. The stunning win by the Spanish big player two sets behind was one of the biggest comebacks in history. Swiatek, who won two Grand Slam titles this year, was in the stands and said he was lucky to witness the final.
“Rafa is my idol, I feel like I learned a lot (from him). I was lucky enough to watch his final at the Australian Open this year, and when I thought it would be impossible, his comeback is pretty amazing.”said Swiatek Life and Leisure.
In off-pitch news, Iga Swiatek was recently named WTA Player of the Year at Express Sport’s 2022 tennis awards. The 21-year-old has had an outstanding 2022 season. She became the tenth woman to win the French Open singles title more than once in the Open Age.
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Also Read: Iga Swiatek is on the cover of Forbes’ 100 Influential Polish Women of the Year after a sensational 2022 season
