As the 2023 WTA season enters its final third, Iga Swiatek holds the WTA number one rankings spot and Martina Navratilova has backed the 22-year-old to stay at the top when the campaign finishes.
After crashing out at the quarter-finals at the 2023 Wimbledon, Swiatek responded positively by winning the Poland Open without dropping a set. It was the Polish player's fourth title of the 2023 season following success at Roland Garros, the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, and the Qatar Open.
Sustained success has helped Swiatek remain at the top of the women's rankings throughout the 2023 campaign and she has held the top spot since November 2022. When looking ahead to the upcoming Canadian Open, 18-time Grand Slam winner Navratilova said to the WTA website that Swiatek is well placed to hold on to the number spot, but she believes the 22-year-old will face a tough challenge late in the season.
"I think she’s the best mover, efficient and quick. I think she’s still the favorite to finish the year No.1 but, it’s a lot closer than it was this time last year.”
Furthermore, Navratilova argued that Swiatek will feel more confident heading back to the hard courts after another tricky grass season in 2023. All four of Swiatek's Grand Slam titles have either come on clay or hard surfaces and Navratilova feels the 22-year-old's game is well suited to the American hard courts.
"Winning in Warsaw wasn’t as easy as it could have been. It’s a lot of pressure for her to do well, but she came through. She won the [US] Open last year, so Iga must feel pretty good about herself on the hard courts.
"It looks like hard courts and clay are her best surfaces. She’s won on faster hard courts as well as the slower ones. I think she likes a true bounce and she can still slide on the hard stuff."
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