Iga Swiatek reveals the pressure of being World No.1 in tennis
Iga Swiatek, the No.1 ranked tennis player in the world, has said that the achievement came with a lot of pressure and expectations that were beyond her imagination. Swiatek became the top-ranked player in the world last year on April 4 after Ashleigh Barty retired. She has since held on to the top spot and currently holds a 4,485-point lead over the second-ranked player, Aryna Sabalenka.
Swiatek won eight titles last year, including two Grand Slams, and held a 37-match winning streak. She admitted that the outside expectations were affecting her personal life, saying that after Doha and Dubai, she felt the pressure from critical comments despite performing well. “And it made me think that last year before this huge streak and before winning all these tournaments I would be so happy with this result. But with all these comments right now, I felt like, Ooooh, that’s not enough,” Swiatek said.
The 21-year-old player said that she was focusing on the in-season WTA Tour’s Race to the WTA Finals and would not be looking back at her past achievements. She stated that every tournament was a new opportunity and that if she played well, she would be high in the rankings. She acknowledged that she may not defend all her points, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t remain at No.1.
Swiatek is set to play at the Indian Wells Masters in California. She spoke to reporters before her first match and said that she is feeling much more comfortable on the court than she did last year. She also mentioned that she is looking forward to playing against some of the best players in the world and learning from them.
Swiatek acknowledged that becoming the world’s top-ranked player was a dream come true, but it came with its own set of challenges. She is now focused on staying at the top of the rankings and is determined to keep performing at her best.
Staff Reporter
