"Steffi Graf & Serena Williams paved way for us, always grateful": Iga Swiatek, Ana Ivanovic & others send messages on International Women's Day

Top players like Iga Swiatek, Anna Ivanovic, Jessica Pegula and others, recently wished fans a happy International Women's Day.

International Women's Day is celebrated worldwide on Friday (March 8), bringing light to issues such as gender equality and inclusivity. The tennis royalty on the women's tour took this opportunity to give flowers to their role models and peers.

The X (formerly Twitter) handle of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, a WTA 500 tournament, put up a video of World No. 1 Iga Swiatek disclosing to fans that she always looked up to legends like Serena Williams and Steffi Graf for their contribution to tennis.

The Pole also expressed gratitude towards her team, which comprises many women like her long-time psychologist Daria Abramowicz.

"Hi guys, on this women's day, I will talk about my women childhood heroes. For sure, because I always play tennis, they are tennis players. Steffi Graf and Serena Williams are one of them," Iga Swiatek said. "They shaped the way our sport is now. They paved the way for a better future for us, so I'm always going to be grateful for that."

"Right now, I gotta say that my biggest inspiration right now are the women that I work with. Because I have many women in my team, they motivate me to move forward and to work harder. There are people I can lean on sometimes, so I'm really grateful to have support like that," the World No. 1 added.

Former French Open champion Ana Ivanovic, who retired from tennis in 2016, also posted a video compilation of some of her rivals with a sweet caption.

"Happy International Women's Day. Never forget to support, value and celebrate each other. But most importantly always," Ivanovic wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Daria Kasatkina's girlfriend, Natalia Zabiiako, posted a picture of herself with the Russian, writing:

"Happy Woman’s Day @DKasatkina."

American No. 1 Jessica Pegula's sponsors Ready Nutrition also wished fans a happy International Women's Day. The 30-year-old later reposted their Instagram post on her story.

Three-time Major finalist Ons Jabeur, World No. 15 Liudmila Samsonova, 2024 San Diego Open winner Katie Boulter and World No. 28 Elise Mertens were some other top players who celebrated the occasion on their Instagram handles.

Via Instagram Stories

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Iga Swiatek and Daria Abramowicz have been working together since 2019

Iga Swiatek and Daria Abramowicz at the 2023 French Open

Polish sports psychologist Daria Abramowicz began traveling on tour with Iga Swiatek in 2019 when the latter was just 17. Barely inside the Top 150, the partnership worked wonders for Swiatek over the following years, as she rose to fame after winning her maiden Major title at the 2020 French Open.

Swiatek has since won three more Grand Slam titles and Abramowicz remains a cornerstone of the World No. 1's team to this day. That being the case, a few critics have questioned the nature of the relationship between the Pole and the psychologist.

Apart from Abramowicz, the other women in Iga Swiatek's team are Alina Sikora and Paula Wolecka, who are her Partnership Manager and PR & Communications Manager, respectively.