Former world number three Pam
Shriver believes that Poland’s Iga Swiatek is on a misson to reclaim the top
spot which is similar to what America’s legendary tennis star Serena Williams
did in the past.
The 22-year-old has recently won
the China Open after defeating Russia’s Liudmila Samsonova in the final in
straight sets with a score of 6-2, 6-2.
It was Swiatek’s first title victory
since she won the Poland Open on her own soil back in July after beating Germany’s
Laura Siegemund in the final with a score of 6-0, 6-1.
Shriver, who was the runner-up in
the final of the US Open back in 1978, was recently quoted in a report where
she stated that looking at how Swiatek has performed in the recent reminds her
of Serena’s ‘revenge tour’ which helped he in becoming one of the greatest players
in the history of women’s tennis.
"You can think about the
great players through the years at the top, who lose a spot or two in the
rankings... they tend to respond pretty well,” she said. “You think about how
Serena Williams responded to having losses, the 'Revenge tour' that she may
have been on at certain points in her career. I think Iga took that, when she
faced Coco.
"I mean Coco obviously had
the wrong side of that set after set after set, was able to come out on top in
Cincinnati. And then Iga, you know she would've gone into that next match after
the loss totally motivated to figure some things out.”
Swiatek lost her top spot in the
WTA rankings earlier this year after she lost in the quarterfinal of the US
Open to Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko with a score of 3-6, 6-3, 6-1.
The highlight of the year for the
current world number two was the victory at Roland Garros where she lifted the
French Open for the third time.
Azeem Siddiqui is a seasoned sports journalist and data analyst with a strong background in both digital media and live sports production.
He began his journalism career working with partners of The New York Times and has since contributed to several leading international sports publications, including Fox Sports Asia, Calciomercato, and GiveMeSport. Since 2023, Azeem has been part of the TennisUpToDate team, where he has played a key role in sustaining the platform’s growth and ensuring tennis fans receive timely and reliable coverage of the sport’s biggest stories.
In addition to his editorial work, Azeem has extensive experience as a data analyst in live sports broadcasting—particularly in cricket—where he combines analytical precision with creative storytelling. He has collaborated with multiple production companies and cricket boards worldwide, delivering real-time insights and data-driven narratives during live match coverage.