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Iga Swiatek, the current world number 2 in WTA Rankings, has stated that she feels pleasant after changing her mentality permanently following the 2023 US Open.
The Polish star struggled to find her footing throughout this year's New York major, falling to Jelena Ostapenko in the Round of 16, with the Latvian athlete picking up the victory by 3-6, 6-3, 6-1.
Iga Swiatek also failed to steer past the quarterfinals of the WTA 500 event in Tokyo, losing to eventual champion Veronika Kudermetova in a three-set battle by 2-6, 6-2, 4-6. In their previous four meetings, the Pole had never dropped a single set to the Russian.
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The 22-year-old appears to have found her game in Beijing, as she defeated reigning US Open Champion Coco Gauff in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3, in the semifinals of the 2023 China Open on Saturday, October 7 at the Diamond Court.
After eventually losing to Coco Gauff in Cincinnati, which started the American's march to the US Open glory, Iga Swiatek has gained some vengeance by reaching the China Open final and ending the American's 16-match winning streak.
Swiatek will face either Elena Rybakina or Liudmila Samsonova in the final on Sunday.
In her post-match press conference, Iga Swiatek stated that she could see what it was like to play freely. She realized that bad situations do not continue forever, and they may be overcome with the right mindset. After competing at Flushing Meadows this year, the Pole was relieved to have changed her mentality.
“It feels like I can play freely again. It’s been a while since I felt that way. I’ll remember for the rest of my career that even though tougher times may come, in your mind you can always overcome that. With hard work you can achieve it. I’m happy I switched my attitude after the US Open. Hopefully I’ll be able to keep it as long as possible,” Swiatek said.
“I just want to be a better player”- Iga Swiatek
Iga Swiatek has opted to take things more slowly in her quest to win the WTA crown because she values diversification and improvement in her tennis game.
After her quarterfinal triumph over Magda Linette at the 2023 China Open, the 22-year-old gave a press conference in which she reflected on her current position atop the WTA rankings. Swiatek said that she has figured out how to unwind due to the compelling demands on her attention.
“Before the US Open I was torn about whether I wanted to continue trying, play every tournament to fight to finish the year at #1 in the world. After the US Open I realized there were more important things to take care of. Sometimes it's better to take it easy. I've also changed my attitude a bit, I just want to be a better player,” Swiatek said.
It would be interesting to see if the current world number 2 would be able to conquer the 2023 China Open and reassert her dominance in the sport.
Do you think Iga Swiatek could achieve WTA Rank 1 by the end of 2023? Sound off in the comments section below!
