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Rick Macci expressed his admiration for Iga Swiatek and referred to her as "the real deal" following her French Open triumph.
Swiatek clinched her fourth Grand Slam title after defeating Karolina Muchova 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 in the Roland Garros final. This was her third French Open title and the victory allowed her to retain her top spot in the WTA singles rankings.
During an interview with NBC News, Serena Williams' former coach Rick Macci stated that Swiatek is a "dominant" player who proved her dominance by winning 37 matches last season.
"Iga Swiatek from Poland, she’s been dominant. Anybody that wins 37 in a row which she did last year you got something between the ears. And as we all know tennis is a game of inches from ear to ear but she has been dominant," Macci said.
According to Macci, Swiatek has successfully filled the void left by mother-to-be Naomi Osaka and retired Serena Williams, solidifying her position as a top player. He also went on to call the Pole "the real deal."
"She just won her fourth Grand Slam, third French Open. She’s a leader in the clubhouse. Women’s tennis has become a lot more fluid. Osaka is having a baby girl, Serena exited stage left. Very important that she's kind of jumped in there and she's not letting it go so she's the real deal and the best is yet to come from Iga," Macci added.
"I'm never going to doubt my strength again" – Iga Swiatek after French Open 2023 win
Since winning her first Grand Slam title at the 2020 French Open at the age of 19, Iga Swiatek has been compared to tennis' all-time greats. Her recent victory at the same event last weekend has only served to cement her position among the sport's elite players.
Swiatek expressed her elation at concluding her clay-court season with a title victory in Paris. The Pole had to overcome a grueling challenge from Karolina Muchova to successfully defend her French Open title.
“I finished the whole clay court swing so well, and that I kind of survived. I guess I'm never going to kind of doubt my strength again maybe because of that," Swiatek said in her post-match press conference.
Swiatek made history by becoming the first woman to successfully defend her Grand Slam title since Serena Williams at the Wimbledon championships in 2016.
She is also the first to do so at the French Open since Justine Henin in 2007, and the youngest since Monica Seles in 1992.
Iga Swiatek is only the fourth player in the Open Era to win her first four Grand Slam finals after Monica Seles, Roger Federer, and Naomi Osaka.
