"I had accident that I could have died so I really got scared" - Iga Swiatek reveals why she hasn't skied since the age of 7
Iga Swiatek, aiming to become the first woman to successfully defend the US Open title since Serena Williams did with a three-year hat-trick from 2012 to 2014, effortlessly dispatched Sweden's Rebecca Peterson in under an hour, winning 6-0, 6-1.
The World No. 1 dominated her rival by securing five breaks of serve and unleashing 20 winners, sealing her victory in the Arthur Ashe Stadium. The Pole, with her sights set on clinching her fifth Grand Slam title, is set to go up against Australia's Daria Saville in the second round.
Iga Swiatek attended a press conference following her victory and was asked about her skiing experience.
She replied that the last time she attempted to do it, she was only seven years old and had a bad accident that has traumatized her to this day.
"No, last time I skied was when I was seven and I had accident that I could have died so I really got scared. I don't get scared that easily but this for sure stopped me," Swiatek said.
Yeah, that was the last time. I'm sad about it, because now when I'm a pro, I don't really have time to do sports like that. I wish I could, you know," she added.
Iga Swiatek may not have a strong bond with skiing, but she does with two other skiers, Mikaela Shiffrin and Lindsey Vonn.
Speaking of them, the 22-year-old said she looks up to them as huge inspirations and feels they are similar to her because their sports have similar schedules.
"They are huge inspirations for me. I don't know. I just feel like our sports are kind of connected, because these are the only two sports where I feel individual with, like, womens kind of having, I don't know, the same events and the same, you know, rhythm as guys," Iga Swiatek said.
"We kind of have similar experiences, especially I feel that when I hear all the interviews of Mikaela, I feel like we are kind of the same sometimes (smiling)," she added.
Iga Swiatek's World No.1 ranking is at stake at the US Open 2023
Iga Swiatek first took her place at the top of the women's game last year. She has held the World No. 1 ranking continuously since then.
While she entered this year's US Open as the favorite, her ranking will be at stake as Aryna Sabalenka will utilize every opportunity to sit on the WTA throne.
Sabalenka returns to Flushing Meadows knowing that a title on her preferred surface can help her reclaim the top ranking from Swiatek.
In fact, all the Belarusian has to do in New York this fortnight is win one more match than the Pole, and the World No. 1 spot will be hers.