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World No. 1 Iga Swiatek had a dream of a season in 2022 during which she won eight titles, including two Grand Slam tournaments. The Pole's performances last year saw her rise head and shoulders above everyone in the WTA rankings.
After enjoying a stellar 2022, Swiatek faces a challenging 2023 season as she has a lot of points to defend. She recently suffered a fourth-round elimination at the 2023 Australian Open at the hands of eventual runner-up Elena Rybakina.
The next couple of months will be challenging for Iga Swiatek as she was in excellent form at this point last year. On that note, let's take a look at the number of ranking points the World No. 1 will have to defend before the start of the clay-court swing.
Qatar Open - 900 points
This season's Qatar Open might be a WTA 500 event, but Iga Swiatek will have to defend the 900 points she earned last year after winning it. The tournament was in the WTA 1000 category in 2022 and Swiatek won it with a dominant 6-2, 6-0 win over Anett Kontaveit in the final.
The Pole will compete at Doha again this season and will be eager to defend her title. Swiatek is yet to win any silverware in 2023 and winning the Qatar Open would help her massively ahead of the forthcoming tournaments.
Dubai Tennis Championships - 55 points
The Dubai Tennis Championships was one of those rare tournaments where Swiatek suffered an early elimination. The Pole was seeded sixth in the competition but lost 4-6, 6-1, 7-6(4) to eventual champion Jelena Ostapenko in the second round.
Swiatek will not be under much pressure heading into this season's Dubai Tennis Championships as she will only have to defend 55 points. The competition is now in the WTA 1000 category and the Pole will be the top seed. Swiatek will be a heavy favorite to win in Dubai.
Iga Swiatek was the Indian Wells Champion - 1000 points
Iga Swiatek had a terrific American summer hardcourt swing and won the Indian Wells Open. The Pole won her first three matches of the tournament after coming back from a set down. She then beat Madison Keys and Simona Halep before defeating Maria Sakkari 6-4, 6-1 to win her third WTA 1000 title.
The Pole will face a tough task in Indian Wells this year as she will have to defend the 1000 points she earned in 2022. No woman has won the tournament twice in a row since 1991, which means Swiatek will have a shot at history in March.
Miami Open - 1000 points
Iga Swiatek became only the fourth woman to complete the Sunshine Double by winning the Miami Open in 2022. The Pole did not drop a single set throughout the tournament and won it by beating Naomi Osaka 6-4, 6-0 in the final.
Swiatek will enter this year's Miami Open as a heavy favorite to win and is expected to have another good run. She will have to defend the 1000 points she won last year.
