The World No. 1, Iga Swiatek, spoke openly when quizzed about retirement in a recent interview.
Despite her incredible achievements to date, the four-time Grand Slam champion is still just 22 years old. Swiatek has much time to add many more accolades to her already illustrious career in the future.
However, the interviewer for Grupa PZU was interested in the difference between players like Novak Djokovic, who is near his best at 36, and others like Ash Barty, who retired at 25.
The Pole was then asked about her thoughts on the topic of retirement. Swiatek answered the question and was as honest as ever in her response.
"I thought about it, but I admit that the answer to this question actually changes a bit. And with that, I don't know how tired I feel of nature. I admit that I don't analyze it too much because I don't know what situation I will be in, for example, in 5 or 10 years. It's hard to predict, really."
The three-time French Open champion admits that she is unsure of the future. Swiatek is truthful when she does not guarantee her commitment to tennis for the next decade, as situations can change.
However, although Swiatek could not definitively say how long she would compete, the world No. 1 also acknowledged there was a good chance of her having a long career on the WTA Tour.
"I'm the kind of person who likes to finish what I start, so I'll probably play for a long time. But as I say, people change, life paths are different and you don't know what will happen in 10 years. That's why I don't think about it at all. For now, I'm focusing on getting some good training tomorrow."
Swiatek has built a reputation as one of the biggest perfectionists in tennis. Hence, it would not be a surprise if she had a long career and tried to achieve as much as possible. But that is not a certainty.
One thing is clear: the world of tennis will be a poorer place when Swiatek is no longer playing. Hopefully, she will play for many years to come.
0 Comments