"Thanks for all the trick shots" - Iga Swiatek hails Ben Shelton after their On sponsor event alongside Roger Federer

Iga Swiatek recently showered plaudits on fellow Swiss On ambassador Ben Shelton, following an interactive fan event in Brooklyn, which was organized by the Swiss performance sportswear company.

Swiatek and Shelton, who signed a sponsorship deal with On earlier this year, were joined by 20-time Major winner Roger Federer at the event. The main objective of the event was to reveal the duo's outfits for the upcoming US Open. The Pole and the American then proceeded to trade hits with the attendees after all the formalities had been wrapped up.

Going by her social media post on Thursday, August 24, Iga Swiatek seemed filled with adulation towards Shelton's "trick shots."

"Thanks for all these trick shots!" she wrote, followed by a smiling emoji.

The Pole lauded the American's finesse play in a reply to a post made by him on social media. In the original post, the On-sponsored duo posed for a candid picture with Federer, who owns shares in the company, valued at around $200 million.

The event was evidently successful, going by the large number of fans that swarmed Roger Federer for a photograph. One of the attendees at the event was Noah Rubin, who had faced the Swiss maestro in the second round of the 2017 Australian Open.

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Iga Swiatek can breathe a sigh of relief as she has a relatively easy draw at US Open 2023

Iga Swiatek poses with the 2022 US Open trophy

Several top players in both men's and women's draw were treated to tough match-ups as the 2023 US Open draws were revealed on Thursday, August 24. Iga Swiatek, however, was not one of them.

The 2022 US Open champion will commence her campaign against Sweden's Rebecca Peterson on Monday, August 28. She will next face the winner between Daria Saville and Clervie Ngounoue, before taking on 29th-seeded Elisabetta Cocciaretto for a place in the second week at Flushing Meadows.

Swiatek's next potential opponents include 2017 Roland Garros winner Jelena Ostapenko, former top-10 player Veronika Kudermetova, and French veteran Alize Cornet. Only Ostapenko seems like a tough match-up for the 22-year-old on paper among these opponents.

Having said that, Latvia's Ostapenko has blown hot and cold since reaching the final of the Birmingham Classic in June, and may not be able to navigate through her section to meet the Pole.

Iga Swiatek could then face the in-form Coco Gauff in the quarterfinals. Although the American teen beat her en route to her maiden WTA 1000 title in Cincinnati a few days ago, the Pole has never had any trouble beating Gauff at a Major tournament (defeated her twice at Roland Garros in the last two years).

If the World No. 1 reaches the last four, she will likely face Elena Rybakina for a place in the championship match. The Pole will be expected to be in top gear by then, though. In that context, the 22-year-old is a heavy favorite to defend her 2022 US Open crown during the upcoming fortnight.