“Huge Iga Swiatek fan; she’s a true global ambassador” - Mikaela Shiffrin gushes over World No. 1, welcomes her to team Visa

Two-time Olympic gold medal-winning skier from the United States, Mikaela Shiffrin, expressed her delight at Iga Swiatek joining Visa as a global brand ambassador. Shiffrin enjoys tennis and the Pole is her favorite player.

Swiatek took to Twitter to share about her partnership with Visa.

“Excited to join Visa as a global ambassador! I’m so glad to be part of this incredible group of athletes. Looking forward to our joint projects, making an impact together and sharing our love of sports.And where else could I be on the same team as @mikaelashiffrin?!,” Iga Swiatek wrote.

Reacting to her post, the elated alpine skier welcomed the WTA World No. 1 to team Visa, writing:

“Big tennis fan here and HUGE @iga_swiatek fan. She's a true global ambassador, inspiring in both sport and life. Proud to call her a friend and so pumped to welcome Iga to Team @Visa.”

Iga Swiatek is the first tennis player to join Visa as the company's ambassador. She has partnered with Visa on a program to aid athletes in need of financial support, mental health care, and educational opportunities.

Team Visa will be the primary sponsor at the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics, and they have already helped over 600 professional athletes. More than half of these competitors are women.

When it comes to issues of social justice and parity between genders, Swiatek has always been a trailblazer. Her values align well with Visa's, making her the ideal athlete to join the firm.

Iga Swiatek reflected on her collaboration with Visa and shared why the opportunity was so alluring.

"I started my career in tennis at a young age and even if I’m still learning, I’m trying to use my voice and become a role model for other young people,” Swiatek said. (via Investor.visa.com)

The 22-year-old hopes to use the platform to promote the sport and advocate for social issues.

"Joining Team Visa with so many incredible athletes will help me continue to advocate for what’s important to me, advancing the sport and social issues that matter most to me,” she added.

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Iga Swiatek will fight to retain her World No. 1 spot at the 2023 US Open

Iga Swiatek in action

After losing in the semifinals of the 2023 Canadian Open and Cincinnati Open, Iga Swiatek will face a tough challenge from World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka to continue at the top of the rankings.

Although the Pole has a 1,209-point lead over Sabalenka, the Belarusian will have a chance to overtake Swiatek by the end of the upcoming Major.

With a live rating of No. 2 and 7,955 points, Swiatek will begin her 2023 US Open campaign in a strong position. Having won the tournament last year, she will defend 2,000 points.

Meanwhile, Sabalenka will start her season as the No. 1 player in the live rankings, with a total of 7,966 points, and will be defending 780 points after reaching the last four in 2022.

Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka are quite close in terms of points, with a difference of only 11 between them.

Sabalenka will take over as WTA World No. 1 with an 11-point lead if both the challengers are eliminated in the same round.