Iga Swiatek had a great 2022 season, and already ahead of 2023, she knew that anything she would do would likely not be deemed sufficient.
The Polish player had a major breakout in 2022, probably one of the most impressive breakouts ever. The void left by the retirement of Ashleigh Barty was quickly filled by the rising star from Poland, who won multiple WTA events that year.
She won two Grand Slams, 37 consecutive matches in what was an utter display of dominance. This year wasn't like that, as Swiatek was beaten more often and won fewer trophies and fewer Grand Slams.
In a recent interview published by Punto de Break, Swiatek explained why it was never realistic that she'd do it again.
That period was hard. When the season started, everyone was wondering how I would play after such a successful year, so I felt that any result I had would be insufficient, anything other than winning the tournament. Instead of wanting to win, I hoped not to lose. It was not something constructive, I started the events in the Middle East with a different approach. I’m glad I got over it quickly.
The start of the year wasn't good indeed but as she said she turned it around pretty quickly. The general misconception is that Swiatek played much worse this year which actually isn't true at all.
You can argue that she played less consistently, but in many ways, she was as impressive as last year. What changed was her competition. While nobody really challenged her last year, several players made a big jump this year and became proper threats weekly.
Coco Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka, and Elena Rybakina all stepped up and beat the Polish superstar, but in the end, she got the last laugh. She was the best at the WTA Finals, securing the year-end No. 1 as well.
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