"Ash seemed like a huge role model for everybody" - Swiatek on being unsure of taking Barty's no. 1 spot
WTA
Iga Swiatek admitted that she was initially not sure how to handle taking over the World No. 1 spot from Ashleigh Barty.
When Barty dominated at the start of the 2022 season by winning 11 consecutive matches, no one expected that someone would replace her as the WTA World No. 1 player.
However, the Australian retired, and soon, a new start appeared on the tennis sky. Swiatek jumped to the No. 1 spot, and it was the Polish player who started dominating on the WTA Tour.
The young Pole ended this season with more than a 6000-point lead and won two Grand Slam trophies. Now, many miss Barty on the WTA Tour even more, as a beautiful rivalry could be born.
There is nothing but respect between the two. Swiatek confirmed it once again when she spoke about the Australian ahead of the season start in Australia.
"I’m super proud of myself. I feel like a huge satisfaction, because I have been working my whole life to get to this point. I didn’t really think it’s like possible for me."
"For sure, when Ash retired, I felt like mixed emotions because I felt like she still has the best tennis out there, so yeah, actually, hopefully, maybe this week we are going to be able to meet, and I’m going to say it straight to her, but she really inspired me to work harder and her different, I don’t know, a game style made me realize that there is always like room for improvement."
Swiatek admitted that it felt like too big of a challenge to replace Barty. Not only when it came to her qualities on the tennis court but also because the Australian player was a huge rule model.
"At first, I felt like I wasn’t sure if this was kind of my place to be. Ash, she seemed like a huge role model for everybody in terms of her behavior on the court but also off the court. She really set the bar pretty high, so I need to show it to people but also show it to myself that I’m in the right place."
