"I did not know how to react" - Swiatek on seeing Serena Williams at Wimbledon

Iga Swiatek remains unconquered on the court since March but the new number one in tennis felt overwhelmed in the presence of a Wimbledon legend on Friday.

The world No.1, who arrives in SW19 on a 35-match winning streak, shared Centre Court with seven-time Wimbledon champion Serena Williams. Speaking about that, Swiatek said:

"When I saw her (on Friday), I was pretty overwhelmed. I didn't know how to react perfectly. It was pretty weird. So I came back to myself (a) few years earlier, when I was too shy to say 'hi' to anybody for a second. But I feel that just seeing her around is great because she's such a legend. There's nobody that has done so much in tennis."

Swiatek, who was born a year before Williams claimed her first Wimbledon title in 2002, has already matched one record set by the American and is set to eclipse another held by Venus. Her triumph at Roland-Garros last month gave her one more win than the 34 straight victories Serena claimed in 2013, and drew her level with Venus’s record this century of 35.

That earned her the right to play on Centre Court and on that, she said:

“I know that there have been some discussions about who should open and I feel really privileged that I’ve been chosen. It’s a great thing for me. I feel privileged and proud of myself mostly. Hopefully it’s going to be a good show.”