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Iga Swiatek was not part of the Polish team that went down 1-2 against the USA during the ongoing Billie Jean Cup Finals, but the American players had a lot to say about the player who has taken the tennis world by storm this season.
The 21-year-old, who made it to the WTA Finals in Fort Worth, was unable to make herself available even as Poland was drawn with the USA and Czech Republic in the 12-nation finals of the Billie Jean Cup that is currently underway in Glasgow.
Madison Keys, Danielle Collins, and captain Kathy Rinaldi voiced their thoughts on Swiatek, lauding the Pole's on-court prowess while commending her geniality off it.
Keys, who lost to Swiatek in last year's Rome Masters and in the quarterfinals of the Indian Wells Masters earlier this year before tilting the scales in Cincinnati, described the Pole as a "phenomenal athlete."
"I just keep telling everyone Iga is just really really good at tennis. On top of that, she is just such a great person. Off the court she is so nice and friendly. She is just all around a great tennis player and also a great person. On the court, she is a phenomenal athlete. She moves so well. She puts so many balls back on the court, and I think her ability to never really give you any sort of opening that you feel like you can get her moving is why she has done so well this year," the World No. 11 stated.
Rinaldi called Swiatek a "sweet girl" who was "fierce" whilst in action.
"She is a very sweet girl, very fierce on the court. Off the court, she is very authentic and genuine. On the court, her movement and athleticism and just how she has that ability to lock in every point is really impressive," Rinaldi stressed.
World No. 14 Danielle Collins, who beat Swiatek in the semifinals of the 2022 Australian Open, referred to the 3-time Grand Slam champion as an "incredible competitor." and a "phenomenal athlete."
"Incredible competitor. Doesn't have a lot of holes in her game. She fights till the end. A spectacular athlete and her mental strength speaks for itself as well," said the 2022 Australian Open finalist.
"This situation is not safe for our health and could cause injury" - Iga Swiatek on why she opted out of Billie Jean King Cup Finals
Opting out of the finals of the Bille Jean Cup was not an easy decision for Iga Swiatek, who had outlined the reasons behind her move via a social media post last month.
Back in early October, she lamented the tight scheduling of the WTA calendar while taking to Instagram to vent her woes.
"I'm disappointed that [the] tennis governing bodies didn't come to an agreement on something as basic as the calendar of tournaments, giving us only one day to travel through the globe and changing the time zone. This situation is not safe for our health and could cause injury," Iga Swiatek wrote.
