Iga Swiatek and Naomi Osaka are the stars she's most interested to watch in 2023, says Chanda Rubin

Iga Swiatek and Naomi Osaka will be back in action on the tennis court when the 2023 season commences and former American tennis player Chanda Rubin is eagerly waiting to witness how the two stars of the WTA perform next year.

Swiatek had a tremendous run in 2022 as she secured two Grand Slam titles to her name, including the French Open and the US Open. The foundation of such dominance occurred early in the season at the 2022 Australian Open, where she stepped up and dealt with the quick hard-court surface at Melbourne Park to make it comprehensively to the semifinals of the tournament.

In a conversation with the Tennis Channel, Rubin expressed her excitement about how Iga Swiatek will fare at the upcoming Australian Open.

"I'm interested to see how Iga Swiatek will start the year. For me, earlier this year in Australia, is where she turned things on, got to the semifinals, really battled to find a way to play on this quicker surface and her game has just elevated. She was the most dominant player, you know, all of 2022," she stated.

Naomi Osaka, on the other hand, had a sub-standard outing in 2022 affected by injuries and mental struggles. The Japanese last played at the Pan Pacific Open in September. Rubin expressed curiosity about how the 25-year-old will be performing when she gets back on the court in 2023 after such a long break.

"I'm curious to see Naomi Osaka. We have not had very many sightings of her on the tennis court. It's been a tough year or two for her for various reasons. So, where will she be? Where will we see her first? How will her tennis be when we get to see her. Out of all, that will be interesting," the 46-year-old conveyed.

---

"They’re going to come when I’m going to be closer to the tournament" - Iga Swiatek on her specific goals for next season

Iga Swiatek at the 2022 WTA Finals previews

Iga Swiatek conveyed that she will have specific goals for each tournament next year and that those goals will only be discovered in the run-up to the competition.

In an interview after the World Tennis League in Dubai, Swiatek revealed her hopes for the upcoming season.

"I just want to keep being consistent. But the specific goals I think they’re going to come when I’m going to be closer to the tournament," she stated.

The Polish player feels that she has to manifest a different approach next year to build on what she achieved in 2022.

"It’s kind of weird because I’ve never been in such a situation where I had such a great season. So for sure I need to approach next year a little bit differently," Iga Swiatek added.

The three-time Grand Slam champion will begin her 2023 season at the United Cup as she will team up with compatriots Hubert Hurkacz and Magda Linette to represent Team Poland.