Tennis coach Rick Macci believes that the reason behind
Poland’s Iga Swiatek’s rise to number one is her mental strength.
The 22-year-old returned to the very top after a brief
downfall with consistent performances in the recent past. Macci, in a post on
his official account on social media platform X — previously known as Twitter —
stated that the difference between Swiatek and other players is her mental strength
and ability to stay focused all the time.
"The X factor for THE POLISH PUNISHER @igaswiatek is
mentally she is EXTRA focused every Hour every Minute every Second and that
consistent mentality over the years has delivered EXTRAORDINARY RESULTS,"
he wrote.
Swiatek ended the year on a high as she lifted the WTA
Finals title after beating America’s Jessica Pegula in the final in straight
sets with a score of 6-1, 6-0. The Warsaw-born lost the number one spot in the
WTA Ranking after crashing out of the US Open following her defeat to Latvia’s Jelena
Ostapenko in the fourth round with a score of 3-6, 6-3, 6-1.
Swiatek’s highlight
of the year was her third triumph at the French Open where she lifted the title
after beating Czech Republic’s Karolína Muchova in the final with a score of 6–2,
5–7, 6–4.
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.
1 - Iga Swiatek has become the 6th youngest player since the WTA Rankings were published in 1975 to finish consecutive seasons at World No. 1 - older only than Chris Evert, Steffi Graf, Monica Seles, Martina Hingis and Caroline Wozniacki. Repeat.
@WTA@WTA_insider