Iga Swiatek has put everyone on notice and admitted that she is "more prepared" to deal with the pressure of being the WTA's World No. 1.
Swiatek was ranked World No. 1 for 75 straight weeks from April 2022 - following the retirement of Ashleigh Barty - to September 2023. A fourth-round defeat to Jelena Ostapenko at the US Open saw the Polish star relinquish her spot to Aryna Sabalenka.
In the aftermath of that tournament in New York, she revealed that her sense of purpose has always been to develop as a player and person, not necessarily chase points or rankings. That bit was certainly true because the 22-year-old played with freedom and energy in the autumn.
Swiatek went on a winning spree at the backend of last season, winning titles in Beijing and Cancun - the latter being the most dominant run to a WTA Finals title in history. Reflecting on her 2023 season, she asserted it was a bumpy ride full of learning experiences.
"For sure, even though my ranking at the end of the year was similar to 2022, this season was totally different. Lots of ups and downs and some struggles that we had to deal with.
"At the end, the end of the season, that's basically the only thing I can think about right now 'cause I remember it the best, and it was really exciting. I don't think it ever probably happened in the history of tennis."
After forging an 11-match winning streak, which included a winner-take-all victory over Sabalenka in Cancun, Swiatek reclaimed her throne and has since been on a second stint as a World No. 1. And this time, she is better prepared to handle the pressure ahead of her first tournament of the season at the United Cup.
"Playing these final matches in Cancun with such a baggage on my shoulders in terms of rankings, it gave me a lot of confidence. I learn a lot about myself. I'm going to take it in 2024."
"Honestly, I'm looking ahead for these tournaments that are going to happen here in Australia for me. I want to take it step by step. I feel more prepared for sure to deal with the pressure of being world No. 1 this year than last year."
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