On | Iga Świątek: Beyond Number One | Dream Together
On a daily basis, I do not think about how I am number one in the world. When I was younger, the idea I could play the WTA tour felt so abstract. There was one person who had been successful in tennis. It was Agnieszka Radwańska. That was one person in a country of almost 40 million people. How on earth could I be the next one? Iga Świątek proves perfect and unstoppable… She’s truly dominating in every single match… Four Grand Slams… Just wow. This is the longest winning streak of the 21st century… She’s just unstoppable… Świątek remains the woman to beat… She’s far and away the world’s number one. One of the talents that makes Iga so unique is the way she holds the racket. The Western grip is when you’re holding a racquet like that really not natural for somebody who’s going to, you know pick up the racket and try to do a forehand grip. So, so you play like that, basically. It looks weird, especially with a cinnamon, but but yeah, somehow it works, and you can really put a lot of spin when you hit like that. At least when you know how to play, you know? Don’t try it at home, though. That’s how I played from the beginning and I don’t know how it happened but it definitely has super effects because it makes me able to roll the ball better on the forehand and get the rotation that’s causing the problem to my opponents. Then there’s what my coach always talks about, which is that my tennis is asymmetrical. I just have a forehand that thanks to this grip the ball is very bouncy and a backhand that is flat which makes it difficult for the opponents to adapt to my style of play. I’m not saying it ’cause I’m immodest it’s just that the rotation does the job and it’s been useful. In an unexpected upset, Iga Świątek, the world number one is out of the Australian Open. This is really a stunning defeat. The match was a surprise for the tennis world certainly a shock for her. Last year — 2023 — was so full of challenges facing the position you found yourself in and the expectations that appeared. Today we’re in a place where you’ve got those experiences behind you and I think to myself, you’ve probably learned a lot about yourself in the last year? When I lost at the Australian Open earlier than people would have expected it was after this moment, that I was able to accept in a way, that there are certain spheres still in my tennis that I need to improve, right? Of course, it wasn’t easy and those two weeks working in Warsaw I certainly had to to dig myself out of some negative thoughts… negative dialogue. But nevertheless, I still know that I have a lot to improve. Probably two years ago, when I became world number one everybody always said, “oh you’re traveling around the world,” but I didn’t feel like it. I don’t have time to actually get to know these places. When I’m totally exhausted I try to remind myself of my home. I really miss Warsaw sometimes. In some districts I know like every street, you know and I went to school there. I have my friends there. I can come back to a different life than life of a tennis player. You just know this place and it makes you feel comfortable because of that. I don’t know, I just often have situations where I feel the whole weight of Poland on my shoulders. People often tell me that my name has a special responsibility when they find out that I play tennis and my name is Iga! I would like to be as fast as she is but she is also so focused during her matches as if she doesn’t let her emotions get the better of her and that’s what I definitely would like to take from her. Because I sometimes get a bit nervous, to be honest. I’m always very happy when a Polish athlete is successful in sports. The fact that she appeared and that she is world number one really inspires me to carry on what I’m doing. Also for being herself both online and on the court, of course. The person you see in front of the camera is not that different than in real life. Being an athlete now is becoming a public figure. I wasn’t aware of that when I wanted to be a tennis player. That this is going to be a big part of life. With social media everywhere and with people sharing every piece of information it’s just more pressure because of the fact that every step we take is practically watched and often judged by people. My perfectionism is pretty hard on me. I am happy that both Warsaw and the whole Poland in a sense support me so much and I hope that we will in a way feel more empathy towards these people who, I dunno, play sports every day and whom we only see for a fraction of the time on TV screens. I hope that fans will understand that I am a human being, too. Not everything is in your control and it also seems I just needed a big chunk of luck for certain things to happen at just the right time or for certain people to help me at the right time. Before we get on the court, we do a briefing, we prepare, and we can’t anticipate everything. Do you feel confident when you go in? So that whatever happens, you can handle it? It depends! You also have to make sure that you don’t get frustrated with those things that are out of your control, because that’s something that can break you down. In the past, we believed in you more than you believed in yourself. It’s part of our dream that your self-confidence is so high now. It’s definitely higher… and there’s room for improvement. I tend to be that person who likes being in her bubble and being very focused. That’s why I am trying to get better and be more aware of what I am like and let go sometimes. This is a comeback story for the books. What a triumph for Świątek. I want to thank my team for everything, honestly. Every little thing that we work on. I would just like to give inspiration to the younger generation that you may, in a sense, dream.
Polish tennis pro, Iga Świątek, never forgets her roots. Today, she continues to dream big, inspiring the next generation of players.
‘Beyond Number One’ offers unprecedented access to On athlete Iga Świątek’s world.
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