"This wasn’t Iga Swiatek's best year, but it was damn good, a reminder that she is a generational talent"

Tennis journalist Jon Wertheim recently heaped rich praise on Iga Swiatek, insisting that 2023 was a banner year for the Pole despite her winning only one Grand Slam title.

Swiatek enjoyed a great season on the WTA Tour this year, compiling a 68-11 win/loss record, winning six titles, and raking in nearly $10 million in prize money. The 22-year-old, however, struggled at the Majors, managing to win only one of the four — the French Open.

Iga Swiatek also suffered losses at the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open but eventually salvaged her season during the indoor hardcourt swing. She won her last 11 matches, dropping just one set en route to titles at the WTA Finals and the China Open.

Swiatek's run of form towards the end of the 2023 season also ensured that she beat Aryna Sabalenka in a very tight race for the year-end World No. 1 position. In that context, Sports Illustrated's Jon Wertheim believes that no other player deserved the "MVP" title on the WTA Tour this year.

The tennis analyst also conceded that while the Pole recorded much better results last year, she still managed to play at a very high level in 2023.

Here are the excerpts from Wertheim's mailbag for the American sports magazine:

"Unless there is some statistical fluke or gross distortion, the MVP is the player who finishes at No. 1. This year, a different WTA player won each of the four majors—and congrats to them all—but how could you not give this award to the player atop the heap?"

"In this case, it’s Swiatek, who won at Roland Garros and sealed her season by playing unflustered tennis to take the WTA Finals without dropping a set. This wasn’t her best year, but it was damn good. And a reminder that she is a generational talent."

A comparison between Iga Swiatek's 2022 and 2023 seasons

Iga Swiatek poses with the 2022 US Open trophy

Iga Swiatek won 68 of her 79 tour-level matches this year, translating into an 86% win rate. For what it's worth, the Pole was playing even better in 2022, reigning victorious in 67 matches while only suffering seven losses.

Moreover, Swiatek won eight of her nine finals on the tour last year. Her 2022 season started on an incredible note, as she went on a 37-match unbeaten run and recorded triumphs at Roland Garros, Indian Wells, Miami, Rome, Stuttgart, and Qatar.

Even though Swiatek's season slowed down a bit after the 2022 French Open, she won her first hardcourt Major at the US Open before following it up with a 500-level title in San Diego.

She also won 15 of her 17 encounters against top 10 players last year, as opposed to her 13-6 win/loss record against the same opposition this year.