"I felt like I wasn't sure if this is kind of my place to be" - Swiatek on initial self-doubt when she took over as World No.1

Iga Swiatek, who landed in Australia ahead of the 2023 United Cup, has reflected on her unimaginable 2022 season that took a turn for the better after former World No.1 Ashleigh Barty’s retirement.

In a press conference in Brisbane on Wednesday, the Pole confessed that she felt out of place when she was handed the World No. 1 spot by default after Ashleigh Barty withdrew herself from the rankings. She further remarked that she felt the need to prove herself to the world as well as to herself in order to fill the Aussie’s shoes.

"I didn't really think it's possible for me," revealed Swiatek. "When (Ashleigh Barty) retired, I felt mixed emotions because I felt like she still has the best tennis out there. She really inspired me to work harder and her different game style made me realize that there is always room for improvement.

"At first I felt like I wasn't sure if this is kind of my place to be, you know. Ash, she seemed like a huge role model for everybody in terms of, you know, her behavior on court but also off court. So I felt like she really put - how's it called? She really set the bar pretty high. So, I (needed) to show it to people but also show it to myself that I'm in the right place."

Three-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek, who now faces the enormous task of defending 11085 ranking points, which she earned in the record-setting 2022 season, suggested that she wants to start anew and not hold on to the past year.

"I'm going to try to kind of cut off everything that happened last year and just focus on the future, because I feel like I can take a lot of experience from these tournaments last year, but I don't want to really like hold on to that too much, because I want to go forward and kind of focus on my next goals," added the World No.1.