superstar
‘Iga Swiatek is like Mike Tyson, she just hits people in the mouth’ – French Open favourite steps out of Ash Barty’s shadow, bullies players like Rafael Nadal and can beat Serena Williams record
Ash Barty’s shock retirement earlier this year left the tennis world reeling and wondering who just might emerge from her shadow.
It didn’t take us long to find out as Iga Swiatek has bullied the rest of the WTA Tour and rightly taken her place as the world number one.
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The 20-year-old has won her last 28 matches, the longest since Serena Williams won 34 consecutively in 2013.
Should she win the French Open, and she is such an overwhelming favourite that it would be a shock if she did not win, then that streak would extend to 35, matching Venus Williams’ streak set in 2000.
Her numbers are just frightening, capturing five successive titles - Doha, Indian Wells, Miami, Stuttgart and most recently Rome.
It is not just the fact she has won all of these tournaments, it is the way she has been utterly dominant over the rest of the field.
In her 28-match win streak, she has dropped just five sets. This run includes 12 bagel sets (6-0) and another 10 won by a 6-1 scoreline.
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The quality of her opponents has been high, too, with 21 of those inside the top 50, while seven have been against top 10.
Swiatek is already a Grand Slam champion having won the French Open back in 2020, becoming the youngest person since Rafael Nadal to win a Slam.
This dominance has not gone unnoticed by the good and the great in the world of tennis.
“We knew she was a dogged competitor, already a major champion before this move," former player Andy Roddick said.
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"And the fact that she has been able to roll it out in match circumstances and is way better, she just dominates now.
"It’s like Tyson, when he used to fight back in the days and he would just walk up and start punching people. There was no dancing around. She just hits people in the mouth now. It’s fun to watch."
When she steps out onto the red clay at Roland Garros she will strike the same level of fear into hero opponents as Tyson did in his early days.
Swiatek has proved particularly dominant on a clay court, with her only Grand Slam title, so far, coming in the dirt.
Does that dominance remind you of anyone? Maybe a certain Rafael Nadal? Well he is a huge inspiration for the Polish superstar and still a huge fan around him.
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"Rafa has always been my idol,” she said. “I have pretty sad memories of Roland Garros last year because I was crying when Rafa lost against Novak.
"But two years ago, I was watching the final. I had the trophy photoshoot [after she won the women's title]. I was wearing this really nice long dress and went to see the final [Nadal-Djokovic] like this.
"It was nice because I didn't get the chance to see Rafa play so often. I wanted to use that occasion."
While Nadal will be going for his 14th French Open title and Novak Djokovic trying to tie him on 21 Grand Slam titles, the women’s side of the game is all about the youngsters.
Swiatek looks like she could dominate for years to come and with the likes of Emma Raducanu also bursting onto the scene, it looks like the future is in safe hands.
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