Martina Navratilova recently drew parallels between Iga Swiatek's form and that of Serena Williams after the Pole's title win at Indian Wells.
After winning the 2022 BNP Paribas Open title by defeating Maria Sakkari 6-4, 6-1 in the final, Swiatek once again squared off against the Greek in this year's final at Tennis Paradise. The Pole defeated Sakkari 6-4, 6-0 to win the title.
The World No. 1 kicked off her campaign at Indian Wells in the second round after receiving a first-round bye. Swiatek defeated the likes of Danielle Collins, Linda Noskova, Yulia Putintseva, Caroline Wozniacki, and Marta Kostyuk on her way to the championship match. She did not drop a single set throughout her 2024 BNP Paribas Open campaign.
Following Iga Swiatek's win, 18-time Grand Slam champion Martina Navratilova praised the Pole. Navratilova stated that Maria Sakkari's only chance of winning against Swiatek would have been to take the first set. However, the World No. 1 capitalized on the opportunity and won both sets quickly, securing the victory and the title.
The former World No. 1 compared Iga Swiatek to Serena Williams, stating that she is the 'best front-runner' tennis has seen since the 23-time Grand Slam champion.
"It looked like it was going to be a blowout at 3-0, but Maria [Sakkari] brought it back. The only challenge she had was winning the first set and keeping Iga a little reaching, but she wasn't at all. When she [Swiatek] won the first set, lights out. I mean, she is the best front-runner we have had in the game for a long time, since Serena Williams," Martina Navratilova said (at 0:01) on Sky Sports.
Iga Swiatek met Zendaya after her Indian Wells title win: "She's a really great person"
American actress Zendaya and her boyfriend, English actor Tom Holland, attended the final match between Iga Swiatek and Maria Sakkari at the 2024 BNP Paribas Open.
During the post-match press conference, following her victory over Sakkari, Swiatek spoke about her meeting with Zendaya, where the duo interacted and shared a warm embrace. The Pole described the encounter as "crazy" and expressed her admiration for the actress.
"I already got used to all this postmatch craziness. For sure, meeting Zendaya was crazy, but on the other hand, she's a human like all of us. So I was just happy that she's enjoying tennis and she's, you know, having this movie with tennis theme coming out. So that should be really exciting," Swiatek said.
The World No. 1, also extended an invitation to Zendaya to practice with her anytime and expressed that the actress is a 'great person.'
"She can practice with me any time if she wants to (laughter). But for sure it was fun and she's a really great person. I feel pretty privileged that I'm in this place where I can meet these kind of people," she added.
Iga Swiatek will next compete at the 2024 Miami Open where she will be aiming to secure her second Sunshine Double.
Is Serena Williams a Jehovah's Witness? Why American legend doesn't celebrate birthdays or Christmas
