Iga Swiatek is the top tennis name in Poland, and sometimes, that can be quite overwhelming, as she discussed recently in the short film 'Beyond Number One.'
The Polish player is one of the best players in the world and for the vast majority of the past two years, the best, as she's the reigning world no. 1 on the WTA Tour. She's earned every praise she's gotten in the past few years because we haven't seen a player be so dominant in a very long time.
Of course, it has its negatives because sometimes it can be quite overwhelming. She spoke about that during a short film by her sponsor 'On' admitting that sometimes it feels like the whole weight of Poland is on her shoulders.
"I don’t know, I just often have situations where I feel the whole weight of Poland on my shoulders. My perfectionism is pretty hard on me."
What we see from Swiatek on the court and a little bit of the court is what she's like in her private life as well. She's a regular person off the tennis court, not really sticking out in any way, and it's the way she prefers it.
Being a great tennis player makes her a public person, but it's not something she thought about too much before picking up the sport.
"The person that you see on camera is not that different than in real life. Being an athlete now is becoming a public figure. I wasn’t aware of that when I wanted to be a tennis player. That this is going to be a big part of life."
Being in the spotlight can be tricky because it can create a lot of pressure. Athletes have many commitments to media and fans, and sometimes, they just don't want to do it. Judgment from people they don't even know can also be tricky to handle.
"With social media everywhere and with people sharing every piece of information, it’s just more pressure because of the fact that every step we take is practically watched and often judged by people. I hope that fans will understand that I am human being too."
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