Iga Swiatek recalls seizing opportunity to rise to the top following Ashleigh Barty's retirement

Former World No.1 Iga Swiatek had been at the apex of women's tennis for several years after Australian Ashleigh Barty announced her unexpected retirement, and now the Polish star has opened up on her reaction to being thrust into the spotlight.

Barty won the 2022 Australian Open in front of her home crowd, cementing her status as the No.1 player in the world. However, the three-time Grand Slam champion shocked the tennis community by announcing her sudden retirement two months later. With Barty leaving the field, it was up to the new crop of stars to claim the top position and Swiatek proved up to the challenge.

The Polish star was beginning to announce herself as a threat, as she had risen to a career-high ranking of World No.2 at the time. However, with Barty's sudden retirement, Swiatek was forced to take over as the top player in the sport.

"I didn't understand what happened," said Swiatek. "Ash was the undisputed leader, she played the best tennis. Even though I knew where I was going to hit her, it was still difficult to deal with her shots.
"At first I found her choice strange, I felt it was a great loss for the sport. I have a lot of respect for her. Also, I had a feeling of what the end of her career would mean to me. I had been number 2 for only a few days and suddenly I had the opportunity to climb to the top of the rankings."

The reigning French Open champion was unable to defend her crown at the recently-concluded TWA Finals, after failing to qualify for the knockout stage. However, her season is not over, as Swiatek will be representing her native Poland at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals later this month.