“There were voices of anxiety about what was happening to me after losing one game” - Iga Swiatek talks about dealing with failure and high expectation since becoming World No. 1
Iga Swiatek recently spoke about going through a host of emotions while dealing with the enormous expectations that came with becoming the World No. 1.
The Pole experienced a sudden rise to the top of the WTA rankings after then World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty announced her retirement in April 2022. While speaking to Sport.pl, Iga Swiatek revealed that she hardly had any time to adapt to the demanding situation.
“The fact that Ash decided to end his career, I was No. 2 for less than a week, and then in one day I became No. 1, only meant that I had to quickly find myself in a new, incredibly demanding situation,” Iga Swiatek said.
Former World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty also loves Iga Swiatek for her energy and charisma 🔥
Do you think Iga Swiatek will have another winning streak in the hard-court season? 💪
#IgaSwiatek #AshleighBarty #Tennis https://t.co/Eh15Ays611
The 21-year-old, however, handled the situation exceptionally well and put on a flawless performance which saw her win six titles in the first half of 2022, including a WTA 500, four WTA 1000s and her second French Open title. She also recorded the highest WTA winning streak of the century with 37 straight wins.
Parts of my interview with Iga Swiatek @iga_swiatek
Season 2022: "It's been the result of training over the years, especially all the work after Roland Garros 2020. I am glad that I listened to my team then and did not rush to use my 5 minutes, but continued to focus on sports” https://t.co/Ozb2bOMLJF
Her streak was broken at Wimbledon by Alize Cornet and the World No. 1 soon faced many defeats which created moments of self-doubt, as she admitted to juggling high expectations and battling "voices of anxiety."
“It was hard not to have expectations after winning six tournaments for six months. These expectations were, in a way, and at one point I formulated them for myself, but also the outside world imposed them on me. There were voices of anxiety about what was happening to me after losing one game,” she said.
“The entire period in the States was difficult for me” – Iga Swiatek on facing a tough time during the US Open
After a series of setbacks, Iga Swiatek lifted her seventh title of the season at the 2022 US Open. She, however, admitted that the tournament in New York was tough for her as she had to navigate through many challenges along with a faltering form.
“For sure, winning the US Open cost me a lot more. The entire period in the States was difficult for me and I had to face many challenges, including with balls that lead to a lot of errors and are difficult to control. I adapted to all circumstances and I am proud that I survived to the end,” Iga Swiatek confessed.
“I would always like to entertain the audience and impress with my game, and in this tournament, I had to learn to win without fireworks. And that is the most valuable lesson for me,” she added.
Iga Swiatek, who considers herself an "individualist", revealed that she had a hard time collaborating with her team at the US Open but was grateful for their continued support.
“It's just that working with me is not constant, as it is with everyone. There are good times, but there are also hard times. The stay in the USA was demanding for me and the whole team felt it for sure. A lot of tension and stress affect relationships, and working on it can be a challenge. But I know the team understands this, supports me and knows that there are moments of overload for everyone,” she said.
IGA SWIATEK IS THE US OPEN 2022 WINNER! 🏆
She extends her dominant run in WTA finals to 10-0 🔥
@SK__Tennis
#USOpen #USOpentennis https://t.co/JD5Pbc1qqV