Tennis journalist suggests Iga Swiatek should go the Serena Williams way to remain at the top

Iga Swiatek's spectacular 2022 season saw her collect as many as eight titles, including two Grand Slams: the French Open and the US Open. While she won a whopping 67 matches, she succumbed to defeat in only nine.

By finishing the season with a staggering 11,085 points to her name, the Pole has created a huge gulf between the numero uno spot and the rest of the pack. The next best player is Tunisia's Ons Jabeur, the runner-up at Wimbledon and the US Open, and she has only 5,055 points to her account.

Now comes Iga Swiatek's biggest challenge. Getting to the top is always hard, but staying there is even harder. Next year, the 21-year-old will face the burden of defending a truckload of points. This will especially be the case from February to June, a period which saw her build a 37-match winning streak this year.

Bartosz Ignacik, a tennis commentator at Canal + Sport, believes the World No. 1 needs to tweak her schedule in 2023 to be able to maintain her ranking. He has suggested that Swiatek should follow the example of Serena Williams and play as few tournaments as possible in an attempt to not overburden herself.

Ignacik said during an interview with Przegląd Sportowy Onet:

"It seems to me that next year Iga may play even fewer tournaments than this one. This may be the optimal path for her. It was the same with Serena Williams. She missed a lot of events, but the ones she played, she won."

The journalist is confident that Swiatek's camp will select the right tournaments for the youngster to avoid a burnout.

"I would like to emphasize once again that her fantastic camp in the form of trainer Tomek Wiktorowski, physical preparation trainer Maciek Ryszczuk and psychologist Daria Abramowicz is there to continue to choose the right loads during the season," he said.

The now-retired Serena Williams was known for focusing on the big events in an effort to extend her legendary career that ultimately spanned over 27 years. The move paid off, earning her an Open Era record 23 Slam titles and a reign in the top spot for 319 weeks.

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Iga Swiatek should definitely collect more next season, hence the signing of a contract with IMG Tennis: Bartosz Ignacik

Iga Swiatek poses with the 2022 US Open trophy

Ignacik also touched upon the contentious topic of Iga Swiatek earning less than many of her peers despite winning way more than them. British teen Emma Raducanu's 2021 US Open victory, for example, thrust her into the spotlight, with a bevy of contracts immediately landing on her lap.

Ignacik attributed it to the fact that Poland isn't a marketable nation like the USA or UK. However, with the amount of success that the World No. 1 has had this year, she definitely deserves more limelight.

That's why Ignacik is happy to see that Swiatek has signed with global agency IMG Tennis. The agency will be responsible for her publicity outside of the Polish market next year.

"Poland is not a market like the USA, Asia or Great Britain for the WTA, because Emma Raducanu has to be mentioned here, who after winning the US Open signed contracts for amounts completely out of the hat," he said.

"Many factors follow this. Not all of them are related to tennis. Iga should definitely collect more next season. Hence the signing of a contract with IMG Tennis, a tycoon in this industry."

Iga Swiatek's 2022 season came to an end after she lost to Aryna Sabalenka in the last-four stage of the WTA Finals.