Iga Swiatek: 19 and Counting! Show of force at the Billie Jean King Cup
Iga Swiatek has been the new number one in the tennis world for a few days. On the pitch, the young Pole is currently underpinning this position perfectly. Also and especially at the Billie Jean King Cup last weekend.
by Michael Rothschädl
last edit:
Apr 18, 2022, 06:34 pm
Of course, Mihaela Buzarnescu and Andreea Prisacariu are not players who, under normal circumstances, should really pose a serious threat to a world number one. The duo probably didn't expect that the two Romanians had to leave with two such packs in the international match with Poland at the Billie Jean King Cup. The qualifying tournament this weekend, however, once again became a demonstration of power by Iga Swiatek.
With three WTA 1000 titles in a row - and thus 17 individual victories in a row - the self-confidence of the newly crowned world number one before the international match with Romania should of course not have been small. However, what the only 20-year-old radiated on the pitch was consistently impressive. In the end, Swiatek had to give up just one of their 25 games this weekend. In total, the world number one held up a mere 102 minutes with their two opponents.
Swiatek impresses Becker
Or, perhaps even more impressive: On Friday and Saturday there were just 45 points in total that the young Pole didn't score. Individual wins number 18 and 19 in a row, they were two of the particularly clear kind. "For me, she plays modern women's tennis, extremely powerful, offensive," Boris Becker is also impressed by the Pole in the Eurosport podcast "Das Gelbe vom Ball". "The series of games won is no coincidence, that speaks for itself."
For the German, Swiatek's first place in the world rankings is well deserved: "The computer doesn't lie, if you've won more than the others, then you'll inevitably be number one. I don't think that's a flash in the pan either," says Becker. "She's also still very young. Women's tennis needs a strong number one after Ash Barty's retirement. Swiatek could take on this role, it would be good for women's tennis."
Another test awaits Swiatek this week when the world number one starts at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart. In contrast to the Billie Jean King Cup, the Pole will again have to compete with the absolute world elite. In total, eight of the twelve best players in the world will start at the WTA 500 event. This is led - as befits her status - by the new big dominator of women's tennis, Iga Swiatek.