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Soccer star Robert Lewandowski recently nominated compatriot Iga Swiatek for the Polish Sports Personality of the Year award.
The award has been chosen annually by readers of the newspaper Przegld Sportowy since 1926, making it the world's second oldest such event. The winner is a player who has achieved the most in the preceding year, as determined by a public vote.
The honor went to Robert Lewandowski in 2020 and 2021, but Iga Swiatek is a strong contender this year. The FC Barcelona striker himself nominated Swiatek, as well as two other athletes. He nominated motorcycle racer Bartosz Zmarzlik and 2022 FIFA World Cup star goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny.
Lewandowski's nomination for the 21-year-old is understandable. Swiatek added two more major titles to her total of three in 2022 and topped the WTA rankings for the first time in April. She also amassed a 37-match winning streak on her way to eight titles and was named the WTA Player of the Year.
In addition to these two, players nominated for this award include golfer Adrian Meronk, tennis star Hubert Hurkacz, and basketball player Mateusz Ponitka, among others.
"I didn't know, and I'm happy about that because I would get so stressed" - Iga Swiatek on Robert Lewandowski's presence in the French Open 2022 final
Iga Swiatek produced some of her best tennis at the 2022 French Open. She overcame Lesia Tsurenko, Alison Riske-Amritraj, Danka Kovinic, Qinwen Zheng, Jessica Pegula, and Daria Kasatkina to advance to the final against 18-year-old Coco Gauff. The Pole lifted the trophy in the battle of the two youngsters as she defeated the American in straight sets, 6-1, 6-3.
Soon after her victory, she was greeted by Robert Lewandowski, who was watching the action from the stands. Swiatek, in fact, was taken aback when she saw the soccer star as the two greeted each other after the game.
When asked about meeting Lewandowski during a press conference, the three-time Grand Slam winner said she couldn't believe he came to see her match.
"I didn't know, and I'm happy about that, because I would get so stressed. Well, I'm happy that he's here, honestly. I don't know if he's like a huge tennis fan or not. But, yeah, I mean, wow. He's been top athlete in our country for so many years that it still feels, it's hard to believe that he actually came to watch me," Iga Swiatek said.
"I hope he liked it (smiling). I hope he's gonna come back. Yeah, I don't know. Just overwhelmed," she added.
