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Iga Swiatek recently looked back at her sole Grand Slam victory of 2023, which came at the French Open. She also assessed her WTA Finals campaign and the success she has enjoyed in her career thus far.
Swiatek was utterly dominant in the 2022 season. She collected a staggering eight titles, two of which were the Grand Slams in Paris and New York. She also produced a century-best 37-match winning streak.
But with the rise of players such as Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina, Coco Gauff, and Jessica Pegula, the 2023 season was a little tougher for the World No. 1. Iga Swiatek also suffered injuries in Indian Wells [rib injury] and Rome [thigh injury], which hampered her title defense chances at the Sunshine Double and the Italian Open, respectively.
Despite the series of setbacks, the Pole rose to the occasion in Paris to clinch her third French Open title. Speaking about her most significant victories of 2023, Iga Swiatek recently recalled the uncertainty surrounding her Parisian run.
“At Roland Garros, not everything depended on me. I had quite a serious injury,” she said in a recent conversation with Radio One’s Cezary Gurjew.
The Pole added that she was happy to just be able to participate in the tournament.
“I'm glad I managed to take part in it at all,” she said.
Swiatek’s French Open campaign was a success, but she was unable to recreate her glory in New York. The 2022 US Open champion, who suffered a fourth-round exit this time around, concurrently lost her top spot in the ranking as well.
Swiatek, however, turned the corner during the final leg of the season, clinching the WTA 1000 event in Beijing and the WTA Finals title in Cancun. The Pole believes her mental fortitude helped her win the WTA Finals, which was marred by extreme weather.
“The WTA Finals in Cancun, on the other hand, was a strange tournament. The wind and specific terrain made this event very unpredictable, but I showed my mental strength and ability to concentrate,” she said.
Iga Swiatek on her success: "I know how hard I worked to achieve it"
Despite the ebbs and flows, Iga Swiatek yet again surpassed her colleagues in the number of titles (six) and matches won in 2023. The Pole also eclipsed her previous season’s record of 67 wins, netting one more win this time around. She reclaimed the top spot in the rankings by winning the WTA Finals, and concluded the season as the year-end World No. 1 for the second time in a row.
In the aforementioned interview, the 22-year-old spoke about her rapid rise to the top.
“There are moments when I wonder how quickly this story moved,” she said.
Swiatek also said she feels she is deserving of her success, given her consistent efforts.
“But on the other hand I know how hard I worked to achieve it. I am happy that I am finishing the second season as ‘number one’, although I never thought it would be within my reach,” the four-time Grand Slam champion added.
