"Iga Swiatek is extremely popular in India but the number of her fans is growing all over the world"- says Swiatek's manager Paulina Wojtowicz

Iga Swiatek's manager Paulina Wojtowicz has said that Polish tennis player is extremely popular in India and her fanbase is growing globally.

The young Pole took the world by storm by winning last year's French Open, defeating the likes of Simona Halep and Sofia Kenin in the process. She thus became the first player from her country to win a Grand Slam as well as the lowest-ranked competitor to triumph at Roland Garros.

Swiatek's impressive performances saw her go up to No.4 in the WTA rankings and she will end 2021 ranked ninth.

Wojtowicz spoke about the 20-year-old's popularity and said that while her fanbase all across the world is rising, she is extremely famous in India.

"What is surprising in our marketing research is that Iga is extremely popular in India," she told Interia Sport. But all over the world, the number of her fans is increasing. In Western Europe, the highest percentage of Iga's fans involvement is recorded in Germany, France and England.

"Interestingly, foreign fans are slowly gaining an advantage in social media, although these proportions are still 50 to 50. Iga brings in great interest in the global media, especially in England and the United States"

Asics, Xiaomi and Rolex among Swiatek's sponsors

Swiatek has become one of the most marketable tennis players around

Apart from her popularity, Swiatek has also become a very marketable athlete and is sponsored by a number of top brands. There could also be some new ones to come next year.

Wojtowicz said:

"Iga has five sponsors: PZU group, Asics, Tecnifibre, Xiaomi, Rolex. We are constantly talking with other potential partners. These conversations never end, offers keep flowing in, and new interested parties appear. New sponsors will surely appear next year.

This year, we generated 510 million AVE, or advertising equivalent (an indicator indicating the amount of money that should be spent on advertising - ok), and Iga reached four billion people in the world with her advertising message. Iga is very popular with the media and fans. We have a very high demand for interviews from all over the world."

Over the past 12 months, Swiatek has established herself as one of the best players in the world, in singles as well as doubles. Hence, her popularity and marketability does not come as a surprise.

Swiatek competed in the WTA Finals this year but was eliminated in the round-robin stage. She defeated Paula Badosa but lost to Maria Sakkari and Aryna Sabalenka, eventually finishing third in her group.