"I'm filled with pride" - Iga Swiatek's dad on the World No. 1's incredible 2022 season on and off the court
Iga Swiatek's phenomenal achievements over the course of the 2022 season have astounded the tennis world. Tomasz Swiatek, who himself is a former Olympian, commended his daughter for her incredible feats via an elaborate write-up on Instagram.
Proud dad ♥️ https://t.co/curJqJuwSd
Tomasz Swiatek, who represented Poland in rowing at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games, began by stating that despite the knowledge that his daughter had immense potential, he didn't expect her to dominate the WTA tour and win 37 matches in a row this season.
"I know that Iga's potential and possibilities are very large, but even I didn't expect what happened this season. In the last season, Iga won two tournaments and entered the top-10 and it was admirable and showed that she didn't win in Paris by accident. But this season, total domination on clay and hard, 37 match wins in a row, 8 tournament wins, two of which are at Roland Garros and the first at the US Open," the proud dad wrote.
Swiatek went on to highlight the enormous lead that the 21-year-old has in terms of points while finding an undisputed place at the top of the WTA ranking ladder.
The 58-year-old finally expressed pride for the fact that Iga Swiatek managed to find time to visit Warsaw and play for home fans while also organizing the Friends for Ukraine charity match.
"Since April, Iga is the No. 1 in the world and ends the year in this position, having an unimaginable advantage over the other players. I'm filled with pride. And what makes me even more proud is the fact that even in such a tense season full of victories and games, Iga found time to come to Warsaw and play for Polish fans and with the team to organize a charity match. It's time for a well-deserved rest," he added.
"Thank you to my dad, who finally decided that he's gonna come with me at tournaments" - Iga Swiatek after winning Stuttgart Open
The bond between Iga Swiatek and her father was on display when the three-time Grand Slam champion won her seventh straight final to lift the Stuttgart Open trophy in April.
Titles at Doha, Indian Wells, and Miami all went Swiatek's way as she strode to the helm of the women's scene after Ashleigh Barty's surprise retirement.
After winning her fourth title of the season in Stuttgart, the Pole jokingly thanked her father for finally deciding to accompany her to tournaments.
"And thank you to my dad, who finally decided that he's gonna come with me at tournaments," Iga Swiatek declared after getting past Aryna Sabalenka in the final.
The Warsaw-born player went on to clinch the Italian Open and the French Open after the win in Stuttgart and was back to winning ways at the US Open.
She then won the San Diego Open to end the 2022 season on a high before losing the semifinals of the WTA Finals to Aryna Sabalenka.