Iga Swiatek's father has spoken about his role in his daughter's life, saying he quickly realized that letting her work with specialists was the best decision.
Swiatek remained at No. 1 in the WTA rankings that came out on Monday. She has now been at the top for 122 weeks, surpassing Ash Barty's total of 121. That puts her 7th on the all-time list for weeks at No. 1.
That is an extraordinary achievement for someone still just 23 years old. Her only spell away from the No. 1 spot since April 2022 was a brief period after the US Open before she reclaimed the mantle at the 2023 WTA Finals.
The Pole could face a tight battle to finish 2024 at No. 1. She withdrew from the China Open in Beijing, handing Aryna Sabalenka an ideal chance to try and significantly close the gap by winning the title and 1000 points in Beijing.
Swiatek defends her 1000 points from winning last year's China Open. Her spot at No. 1 would be in significant danger if she did not play in Wuhan.
However, Swiatek's career achievements have been incredible regardless of whether she ends the season at No. 1, and that is partly because the four-time French Open champion's parents understood when to step back and allow her to work with professionals.
Swiatek's father, Tomasz, a former professional rower, told the Polish publication WP SportoweFakty that he still attends many tournaments and has not cut his daughter off, but he attends strictly as a parent.
"I didn't cut her off, because I'm still with her, I go to many tournaments. However, I try to have my own life and let Iga live and work the way she wants. I talked to her about it before I came to the Olympics. She agreed, she wanted me to be with her during the tournament."
"I'm glad that I can be with her in the role of a parent. It's really more beneficial for everyone when there's a division of roles and responsibilities. The result is good results on the court. We are, above all, a family, and family is not work. Iga has specialists for that."
Tomasz said parents who stay too involved in their children's lives as professional athletes harm them, and he is relieved he learned that lesson early in his daughter's career.
"And they are part of the crazy parents committee. Of course, it wasn't easy for me at first, but there was a moment when I went through a lot of things and understood what my role was. But that was quite early, before Iga started her career on the WTA circuit. I'm glad I understood it so quickly."
He also praised his daughter, being proud of her intelligence and independence in making her own decisions. That allowed him to step aside easily.
"Iga is so intelligent and independent that we don't even talk about it. I don't suggest or advise anything. She has coaches for that. I stepped aside."
0 Comments