"See you soon back where you belong #1" - British singer Seal eagerly anticipates Iga Swiatek reclaiming World No. 1 in WTA rankings

British singer Seal is eagerly anticipating Iga Swiatek to ascend to the top and reclaim the coveted World No. 1 spot in the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) rankings.

Swiatek entered the recently concluded US Open as the defending champion and top-ranked WTA player. However, her journey came to an end in the fourth round against Jelena Ostapenko.

Ostapenko staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Swiatek 3-6, 6-1, 6-1. This defeat not only marked the end of the Pole's campaign at the New York Major, but also brought an end to her impressive 75-week reign as the World No. 1.

Iga Swiatek's time as the World No. 1 stands as the third-longest debut in the history of the WTA. It is only surpassed by the legendary Steffi Graf's remarkable 186-week tenure and Martina Hingis' 80 weeks. Swiatek has already secured her place among the all-time leaders and is currently 10th in that list.

She recently took to social media to share a series of pictures from her time in New York. Among them was a picture of herself alongside the renowned British singer-songwriter, Seal.

"📚 🎤 😊 throwback to NY #jetlagged #isitdayornightidontknow," Swiatek captioned her Instagram post.

Seal re-shared Swiatek's post on his social media and also left a comment expressing his excitement about meeting the Pole once again. He also stated that he was eagerly waiting for Swiatek's return to her rightful place as the World No. 1.

"What an amazing moment meeting up with you again Iga. See you soon back where you belong. #1!" Seal commented.

Screengrab of Seal's Instagram story (L) and his comment under Iga Swiatek's post (R)

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"I don't need to defend anything" - Iga Swiatek reflects on losing the World No. 1 spot

Iga Swiatek at the 2023 US Open

Iga Swiatek recently shared her thoughts on her performance during the 2023 season and on losing the World No. 1 ranking at the recently concluded US Open. Following her defeat to Jelena Ostapenko in the fourth round of the tournament, Swiatek was replaced by runner-up Aryna Sabalenka.

The 22-year-old recently reflected on her remarkable debut reign of 75 consecutive weeks, which commenced in April 2022. She took to social media to express her thoughts on the past 17 months, during which she observed the tennis world's unwavering attention towards her title defenses and ranking.

Last year, Swiatek had a record-breaking season, clinching a remarkable eight titles. However, in 2023, she faced tougher challenges, managing to successfully defend only three out of the seven titles she competed for. She emerged victorious at the Qatar Open, French Open, and Stuttgart Open.

The four-time Grand Slam champion admitted that the media pressure had affected her mindset during that period. Nevertheless, she has now come to a realization that she no longer feels the need to constantly 'defend' her achievements.

“Last 1.5 year was a time of observing and experiencing how much people talk and write about 'defending,' 'defense” - of titles, ranking position, points… I was surprised sometimes to start to think this way because of this. But… I don’t need to defend anything and this is a good moment to write down some thoughts,” Iga Swiatek wrote.

Swiatek, who won a new title at the Poland Open this year, divulged her preference for commencing each new season with a 'clean slate.' She emphasized her desire to concentrate solely on winning tournaments rather than safeguarding her titles from the previous year.

“For me sport is a cycle of constant changes exactly like in everyday life, we can either win or lose - that’s it, it’s so simple. New season, next tournament, new opportunities to GAIN, ACHIEVE, not defend something. Clean slate,” she added.