When Polish professional tennis player Iga Swiatek won the 2020 French Open, she became the first player from Poland to win a Grand Slam singles title ever.
The Grand Slam title also made her the youngest singles champion at the French Open since Rafael Nadal in 2005, and the youngest women's singles champion since Monica Seles back in 1992.
With her being born on 31 May 2001, it was a bit surreal to see a women's singles player born in this century to win the Majors title.
19-year-old Iga Swiatek showed an extraordinarily solid mentality and an awareness of her means to emerge victorious. After her sensational triumph last October at the Roland Garros, she has climbed to number 17 in the WTA world rankings. The way things are going, it won't be a surprise for her to settle in the tight and talented elite of the best players in the world.
While the French Open showcased Iga Swiatek's skill in front of the world, the biggest challenge for the Pole will not only be to sustain her top-level form and fitness but keep getting better. At 19, surely she still has a lot of room for improvement.
In a chat with the American Nicole Melichar, with whom she played in Paris in doubles and was defeated only in the semifinals, Iga gave fans a peek into her life and on the changes that have occurred following the victory of her first Grand Slam event.
"I've gained some business management experience in my life. It's great because I know that knowledge I can use when my tennis career comes to an end. So it was really important for me to get this knowledge and experience. However, I also really appreciate the fact that I can return to my normalcy, that is, simply train. The weeks after Paris were a bit crazy and I was wondering when I could take a break from all that," said Iga, who is eager to be back on court.
“Luckily the pre-season arrived and I was able to focus on myself and my tennis again. We went to a small town in Poland outside Warsaw, out of the spotlight, and I think it was the hardest seven days of training I've ever done. But it was very nice to get back to work. I really appreciated it despite the fatigue," the 19-year-old signed off.
Gayle.webp)
