"The X factor for Iga Swiatek is she is extra focused" - Serena Williams' ex-coach Rick Macci hails the Pole's 'consistent mentality'
Serena Williams's former coach, Rick Macci, has lavished high praise on Iga Swiatek for her unwavering mental resilience.
Swiatek has had a remarkable 2023 season, winning a tour-leading six titles and securing her second consecutive year-end World No. 1 ranking. She capped off her stellar year by clinching her maiden WTA Finals title.
Furthermore, the Pole claimed 13 wins over top 10 opponents and recorded a tour-leading 68 match wins overall. Her impressive consistency was evident as she reached the semifinals in 12 of the 17 tour-level tournaments she competed in during the year.
Given her exceptional season, Rick Macci took to social media and credited Iga Swiatek's unwavering mental focus as the key factor behind her "extraordinary" success on tour.
"The X factor for THE POLISH PUNISHER @igaswiatek is mentally she is EXTRA focused every Hour every Minute every Second and that consistent mentality over the years has delivered EXTRAORDINARY RESULTS," he posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Macci's praise for Swiatek's mental strength comes as no surprise, given his recent assertion that the four-time Grand Slam champion surpassed her rivals like Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina and Coco Gauff, in terms of mental fortitude.
"Well, first off, Iga Swiatek has proven herself with four Slams, you know, mentally she has proven herself and she's not going anywhere. I think she is a cut above, no one's going undefeated, okay, but I think she is much better mentally than the rest of the field," Macci said on the Match Point Canada podcast.
"[Aryna] Sabalenka can be in and out, [Elena] Rybakina can kind of be sprayed around a little bit. [Coco Gauff's] forehand is a little dodgy," he added.
"On clay, Iga Swiatek is like Matina Hingis on steroids" - Serena Williams' ex-coach Rick Macci
During the Match Point Canada podcast, Rick Macci further contended that the lack of WTA players with a multiple Grand Slam titles heightened the competitiveness of the Majors on the women's tour.
"But I think it's so fluid, the women's game because there's not a lot of people who have been there done that. You know what I am saying, [players] that have that pedigree and won two or three or four or five Grand Slams. So every female goes in there, has a shot," he said.
However, he argued that the field wasn't as wide open on clay, given Iga Swiatek's dominance at the French Open. He likened the Pole's performance on clay courts to Martina Hingis on "steroids."
"Maybe not on clay, because on clay Iga is something like [Martina] Hingis on steroids, she just carves off angles and carves you up like a Thanksgiving turkey. She is by far the best, but those would be the people I would keep an eye on. But it's so wide open, and all the females know that," Macci said
Swiatek clinched her third French Open title this season by emerging victorious over Karolina Muchova in the final.