Eagle-eyed tennis fans have noticed a change to Iga Swiatek’s demeanor leading up to the WTA Finals beginning play in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday, November 2, 2024.
Swiatek looked relaxed and was laughing with Aryna Sabalenka after their practice session. The pair filmed a TikTok video that no one understood until the end product was revealed after Thursday’s photo session.
Iga Swiatek was more intense at 2023 WTA Finals
Iga Swiatek’s demeanor is noticeably different from last year when she arrived in Cancun needing to win the event to retain her World No. 1 ranking.
In 2024, she came to Riyadh as World No. 2. She lost her ranking to Sabalenka because she had not played in any tournaments since September’s US Open. During that time, she split with her coach of three years Tomasz Wiktorowski, and hired Wim Fissette, Naomi Osaka’s former coach.
Swiatek’s 2024 season
By her standards, Swiatek’s 2024 season might be considered a disappointment. She won one Grand Slam, the 2024 French Open. Swiatek finished as the ladies’ singles bronze medalist at the 2024 Paris Olympics behind Qinwen Zheng and Donna Vekic. Given her prowess on clay, she was considered the frontrunner to win gold so that was a setback for the Polish tennis star.
More importantly, Swiatek seemed mentally spent. The pressure of keeping the World No. 1 ranking and the grueling tennis schedule were topics she spoke about during the season.
She said tennis needed to reconsider the 11-month season and points structure that forces players to play nonstop to maintain their rankings. Tennis legend Chris Evert and 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens are among those who agreed with her.
Can Swiatek regain the World No. 1 ranking?
It is a more complicated scenario than last year when Swiatek had to win to keep her ranking. If Sabalenka wins, she will automatically end the year as World No. 1. For Swiatek to get the ranking back, she needs to go undefeated at the WTA Finals. In addition, Sabalenka has to lose at least one match in her group and not win the tournament. Sabalenka is the best hardcourt player in the world right now and the champion of both hardcourt Grand Slams in 2024 (Australian Open and US Open).
Even if Swiatek does not regain World No. 1 at the end of 2024, she has already cemented herself as one of the longest-tenured World No. 1’s, at only 23 years old. She has plenty of time in the years ahead to regain the ranking.
