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Iga Swiatek extended her warm birthday wishes to Casper Ruud, who turned 25 on Friday, December 22.
Swiatek put together a remarkable 2023 season, winning a tour-leading six titles, including her fourth Grand Slam title at the French Open and her maiden WTA Finals title. The Pole finished the season with an impressive 68-11 win/loss record, having secured her second consecutive year-end World No. 1 ranking.
In preparation for the 2024 season, the 22-year-old participated in the World Tennis League (WTL) in Abu Dhabi. She joined forces with Hubert Hurkacz, Caroline Garcia and Ruud as part of Team Hawks for the exhibition event. Despite their efforts, however, the team ended up at the bottom of the leaderboard among the four competing teams, losing out on qualifying for the final.
Following the conclusion of her participation at the event, Iga Swiatek took to social media and described her pre-season training at the WTL as a "fun way" to wrap things up, expressing gratitude for the experience.
The World No. 1 also penned a heartfelt birthday wish for her teammate Casper Ruud. She signed off with a touching message for her fans, spreading festive cheer by wishing them a Merry Christmas.
"Fun way to finish the #preseason with you guys. Thanks for these last couple of days and support. Thank you @WTL_WORLD for having us and for this. And again happy bday @CasperRuud98. I want to wish you Merry Christmas. May the season bring you only joy and happiness," Iga Swiatek posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Iga Swiatek targeting French Open and Olympics double in Paris, says Barbara Schett
Iga Swiatek has won four Grand Slam titles, with three of those coming at the French Open. With the 2024 Paris Olympics also set to take place on clay, former tennis player Barbara Schett predicted that the Pole would target the double in the French capital next year.
"Imagine if she could win the French Open and the Olympics at Roland Garros? That would be incredible. And I think that's something which is on her radar. I think that's something she would like to achieve as well," she said.
Schett expressed her belief that Swiatek wouldn't face much trouble at the French Open. Instead, she expected the other three Grand Slams to be the biggest challenges for the 22-year-old.
"I'm not too worried about her, to be honest at the French Open, the biggest challenge or the bigger challenges are going to be the other Grand Slams for her," she added.
The Austrian also opined that Iga Swiatek's performance depended heavily on her mental state, emphasizing that if the Pole believed in herself, she would be very hard to defeat.
"With Iga, I always feel like it's a matter of her mental approach, how much she believes in herself. It shows the way she hits her forehand, sometimes she can get a little bit shaky on that shot when she has doubts," Schett said.
"So if she's fresh mentally, if she believes in herself, she's going to be hard to beat," she added.
