“1GA” AND NUMBER ONE: SWIATEK CONTINUES TO SET STANDARDS
For more than a year now, Iga Swiatek has been enthroned at the top of the world rankings – without interruption. In the history of professional tennis, only eleven players before her have achieved this. And if the experts are to be believed, the reign of “Queen 1GA”, who will be competing at the Bad Homburg Open presented by Engel & Völkers (June 24 to July 1), could become permanent.
At just 21 years of age, the Pole already has three Grand Slam trophies in her display case: She has won the French Open twice (2020, 2022) and the US Open once (2022). Last season, Iga Swiatek dominated almost at will, going 37 matches in a row without defeat – and in some statistics was already on a par with icons like Steffi Graf and Martina Navratilova. We have already read about the “on-court blockbuster” named Iga Swiatek.
Swiatek and Federer: A special connection and a lot of sympathy
It is no coincidence that Roger Federer also has a high opinion of the sympathizer from Warsaw. She recently signed an outfitter contract with a company supported by the Swiss maestro. Iga Swiatek represents “the next generation of world-class talent” and is “a champion of the sport,” praised Roger Federer. Such praise from perhaps the greatest tennis player of all time…what more could you want?
But Iga Swiatek wants more. Not least because, despite her relatively young age, she is a professional who thinks outside the box and reflects. Via social media, the exceptional athlete tries to encourage people to read. “Reading a book helps me balance my life and my job. I want to share the joy of this hobby and get people reading,” explained the reigning Flushing Meadows winner, who regularly publishes her reading lists. In 2022, she managed to read 20 books. Among them were some substantial works, because: Iga Swiatek definitely appreciates page-turning classics like “Gone with the Wind.” The 2023 reading challenge for her and her followers: 12+x books!
Ski superstar Mikaela Shiffrin: “Iga has an incredible mentality“.
The 21-year-old, whose permanent team has long included a sports psychologist, also likes to draw inspiration from other sports, new developments and interesting characters. For example, from record-breaking skier Mikaela Shiffrin. The two No. 1 athletes nominated for the Laureus Sportswoman Award 2023 have never met in person, but they often exchange ideas via Instagram. They talk about things like pressure in professional sports, charity activities, and so on.
For U.S. superstar Mikaela Shiffrin, Iga Swiatek, who is about six years younger, is a role model. “She has an incredible mentality when it comes to tennis and competition itself. Because she is young and has already had so much success in her career, she focuses – in my opinion – on the right things. That’s something I can learn from,” Mikaela Shiffrin said, even venturing a special comparison: “Iga’s game is focused and beautiful at the same time. It reminds me of Roger Federer.”
More information about Iga Swiatek: GOOD, BETTER, IGA.
