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Iga Swiatek ignores distractions while pursuing her inaugural Australian Open championship
Iga Swiatek, at the age of 22, has mastered the art of handling the pressures that come with being the world number one in tennis. She is optimistic that a shift in mindset will empower her to dominate women’s tennis, beginning with the Australian Open. Swiatek concluded a challenging 2023 with a much-needed and restful off-season.
In 2022, the Polish player showcased her dominance on the women’s tour, boasting an impressive streak of 37 consecutive wins. However, a surprising last-16 exit at the U.S. Open briefly caused her to lose the top spot in the rankings to Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka. Despite facing two injuries during the season, Swiatek managed to finish as the world number one for the second consecutive year. Her triumphs included clinching her first WTA Finals trophy at the season-ending event in Mexico in early November.
Following her unexpected exit in New York and the slim chance of regaining the number one spot before the year’s end, Swiatek underwent a shift in perspective. Now, with a refreshed mindset, she is determined to continue her dominance in women’s tennis, starting with the upcoming Australian Open.
“Nobody expected it anymore, not even me and my team,” said the four-time Grand Slam winner in reference to reclaiming the top spot from Aryna Sabalenka. “I had come to terms with the fact that Aryna would have remained number one.”
“I had already decided to shift my focus to other aspects because the pressure of being number one became a bit overwhelming in the middle of the season. Until the U.S. Open, I wasn’t playing as freely due to that pressure.”
“Then I realized that I needed to change my mindset and approach the next tournaments as a different player, one who doesn’t dwell on all the external factors.”
This change in strategy proved successful, and after regaining the top spot, Swiatek kicked off 2024 with a strong performance at the United Cup mixed team tournament. She won all of her singles matches, contributing to Poland’s advancement to the final, where they ultimately lost the deciding doubles match to Germany.
Named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the tournament held in Perth and Sydney, Swiatek seems well-prepared to vie for her first title at Melbourne Park, having benefited from a much-needed off-season rest.
“This off-season was the most peaceful for me,” Swiatek shared. “Every year, I faced different challenges. In 2020, after winning my first Slam, everything was quite hectic. I wasn’t even able to focus on tennis and the right things. After 2021, I changed coaches, presenting another unique challenge.”
“Last year, I felt like the whole world was watching. Now, I feel like I’ve become accustomed to this kind of position. I could genuinely focus on practicing and resting. As I mentioned, it was really a peaceful time for the first time.”
Swiatek aims to surpass her fourth-round exit from last year’s first Grand Slam of the season. Her best performance to date at the Australian Open was a semi-final appearance in 2022.
