"I didn't have the honor of playing against her" - Iga Swiatek picks her dream opponent
World No. 1 Iga Swiatek has revealed that she would like to face off against Serena Williams if given an opportunity as they never had the chance to compete against each other on the WTA tour.
Swiatek rose to the top of the rankings in 2022, dominating the field with eight titles, including two Grand Slams at Roland Garros and the US Open. Serena Williams, on the other hand, played in limited events this season before calling time on her career after the 2022 US Open.
In a recent interview with her sponsor (via ESPN), Swiatek regretted that she never had the honor of sharing the court with Williams.
“If I could face one of the legends of women's tennis on a court, it would be Serena Williams without a doubt. Unfortunately, I didn't have the honor of playing against her," Swiatek said.
She also mentioned that she admires tennis greats like Steffi Graf and Martina Navratilova, calling them 'great people'.
"We also all admire Steffi Graf and Martina Navratilova, whom I met a year ago, they are great people," she said.
"During this year I learned many things about myself" - Iga Swiatek
Iga Swiatek also opened up on learning a lot from the 2022 season that gave her tremendous success.
"During this year I learned many things about myself. The most important thing is that, regardless of the situation, I can find a solution that changes the course of the game. I can also drive the pressure of being number one: having all eyes on me and still playing freely," said the Pole.
The World No. 1 also mentioned that she had not touched the racquet in 12 days and was enjoying the off-season with her friends.
"Excluding the trip, I had six and a half days of vacation only. I was in a resort where there was not much to do, so that made me sit back and do nothing. I needed it a lot, I feel rejuvenated," Iga Swiatek said.
"I spent a total of 12 days without a racket. I was at home so I could meet my friends. It was enough time to rebuild my internal motivation. Returning to the track is not pleasant, you feel physical discomfort, your body aches and you have to force yourself to work," she added.
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