Iga Swiatek is indeed focused on her progress as a tennis player. She is not in a rush to reclaim her No. 1 ranking. She has expressed her desire to develop and improve her game in the coming months rather than being fixated on regaining the top ranking in women’s tennis. Iga Swiatek said losing the world number one status felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. The 22-year-old intends to focus on developing her game rather than chasing points over the season’s final stretch.
Swiatek, who just made it to the quarterfinals in Tokyo, will play in her first competition at the China Open. As the No. 2 seed, she will face Sara Sorribes Tormo of Spain to begin her campaign.
“I think it’s a bit easier to come back to the mindset of chasing somebody because that’s what we’ve been doing our whole lives,” world number two Swiatek told reporters in Beijing, where she plays Sara Sorribes Tormo on Monday. Also read: Eugenie Bouchard Reveals Her New Boyfriend, making It Official
“There’s only one person who’s at number one. I think this was harder to get used to last season. But honestly, it doesn’t really matter for me because after the US Open, I knew I was going to drop to second position. I stopped thinking about rankings because I felt like there’s some baggage off my shoulders. I could focus more on just working and getting back to the more peaceful and normal rhythm of practicing.”
With a 57-11 record this year, Swiatek enters Beijing as the Hologic WTA Tour’s match-winning leader. With four victories this year, she shares the most with US Open champion Coco Gauff. She has already secured a spot in the third straight WTA Finals. Also read: Challenge System In Tennis – Explained
“It’s different because you’re just focusing on the future, not on defending something,” Swiatek said. “I’m using that. But overall I’m also worried that it’s the last tournaments of the season, so I’m not going to be 100% fresh. My main goal is to do some stuff differently on court in terms of the technique and tactics, to develop as a player, not really chase points or rankings.”
Iga Swiatek’s current focus is on continuous improvement and development as a player.
This approach reflects her willingness to embrace the challenges and pressures that come with being a top-ranked player. And to prioritize her long-term development as a professional athlete. Iga Swiatek has also mentioned that she needed to learn how to manage the pressure of being world number one and not let expectations overwhelm her. Also read: Lindsay Davenport will be the next US captain for the Billie Jean King Cup