"Good company" - Venus Williams reacts to Iga Swiatek becoming 5th player since 2000 to win 25 consecutive matches on WTA tour
Venus Williams has reacted to Iga Swiatek recording her 25th consecutive win on Friday at the Italian Open.
To say that Swiatek is on a roll would be a bit of an understatement. The 20-year-old hasn't lost this year since a second-round exit to Jelena Ostapenko in Dubai in February.
Following title triumphs at Doha, Indian Wells, Miami and Stuttgart, Swiatek has ploughed through the draw in Rome, dropping only 14 games and no sets in three matches. In the process, she joined four other WTA players - Venus Williams, Serena Williams, Justine Henin and Victoria Azarenka - to have won at least 25 consecutive matches this century.
The elder Williams sister shared Swiatek's feat on an Instagram story:
❤️ https://t.co/nIcZbTYUvt
On Friday, Swiatek beat Bianca Andreescu 7-6(2), 6-0 to reach her seventh semifinal of the season in eight tournaments. Earlier, she beat Elena-Gabriela Ruse and Victoria Azarenka to reach the last eight.
Swiatek said after her win against Andreescu at the Foro Italico in Rome on Friday that consistency was something she really wanted to work on and that it has clicked for her this year.
"Consistency was the thing I really wanted to work on last year -- this year I feel like it clicked, so I'm pretty happy."
Iga Swiatek's 2022 campaign thus far
Iga Swiatek has been a woman on a mission this year, hardly putting a foot wrong. She opened her campaign in Adelaide, where she lost to top seed Ashleigh Barty in the semifinals.
The Pole made a run to the last four at the Australian Open, where she lost to Danielle Collins. Following an early exit to Ostapenko in a third-set tie-break in Dubai, Swiatek hit another gear.
The World No. 1 picked up her first title of the year in Doha before completing the Sunshine Double, winning the Indian Wells and Miami WTA 1000 tournaments. After winning her two singles matches at the Billie Jean King Cup, Swiatek cruised through the draw in Stuttgart, dropping only one set en route to her fourth title of the year.
Iga Swiatek moves to 7-1 in finals, having won her last 7 in straight sets:
2020 Roland Garros: 64 61
2021 Adelaide: 62 62
2021 Rome: 60 60
2022 Doha: 62 60
2022 Indian Wells: 64 61
2022 Miami: 64 60
2022 Stuttgart: 62 62
#PorscheTennis https://t.co/4SSOGRua3P
She took a well-deserved break at the Madrid Open last week, pulling out with a shoulder injury, and has returned in Rome all guns blazing. Iga Swiatek demolished Aryna Sabalenka in the finals, winning 6-2, 6-1. She awaits the winner of Ons Jabeur and Daria Kasatkina in the final.