"I was overwhelmed, didn't know how to react" - Swiatek on seeing Serena Williams at Wimbledon

Sunday, 26 June 2022 at 06:30

Updated at Friday, 13 December 2024 at 20:59

byZachary Wimer

Serena Williams might be the best female tennis player of all time, but currently, the best player in the world is Iga Swiatek. Still, she's only human, and she does get starstruck.

Swiatek arrived at Wimbledon without playing any matches on the grass courts in 2022, but she's still excited to be at the grass-court major.

She's even more excited to open play on the Centre Court after being selected to do so instead of Ashleigh Barty, who was the defending champion, but obviously couldn't compete this year after retiring from the sport.

"I know that there have been some discussions about who should open and I feel really privileged that I’ve been chosen. It’s a great thing for me. I feel privileged and proud of myself mostly. Hopefully, it’s going to be a good show."

— Swiatek on opening Centre Court at Wimbledon<br>

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The Polish player was able to see Serena Williams at Wimbledon, and it was a surreal experience for her. She's seen her before, but something about the combination of the venue and her at the venue left the Polish player quite starstruck.

"When I saw her (on Friday), I was pretty overwhelmed. I didn't know how to react perfectly. It was pretty weird. So I came back to myself (a) few years earlier, when I was too shy to say 'hi' to anybody for a second. But I feel that just seeing her around is great because she's such a legend. There's nobody that has done so much in tennis."

— Swiatek on Serena Williams<br>

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Swiatek arrived in London with an active 35-match winning streak, which means she has one more win than Serena had during her longest streak, and she hopes to continue winning.

She had a fairly solid outing last year, and while not that comfortable on grass, she's had success here in the past. She won the junior Wimbledon in 2018, and reflecting on that, she drew some inspiration.

"Still, four years - it’s not like a lot of time. But that was probably the most important time in my career in terms of developing and finding my game and learning how to do new stuff on the court."

— Swiatek on winning 2018 junior Wimbledon<br>