Why the Swiatek sequel is worth celebrating

CANCUN, Mexico — A year ago, Iga Swiatek swept past the world No. 1 rankings, when the 21-year-old put together an unforgettable season, one of the best this century.

The sequel is nearly as impressive from almost any angle. Winning his third title at Roland Garros, Haouloji leads the WTA Tour with 63 match wins and five titles to date.

But without a 37-match winning streak or a second Grand Slam like the 2022 U.S. Open, there was a vague feeling when Swiatek lost to Jelena Ostapenko in the fourth round in New York. Yoyo was disappointed. And gave the first place position to Aryna Sabalenka.

There is a misguided theory of relativity here, and Swiatek is one of them, and he knows it.

“Of course, sometimes I think it’s a little ridiculous because people are used to me winning,” she told reporters at the GNP Seguros WTA Finals on Saturday. “It doesn’t happen all the time. I would say this season is a bit normal, like most seasons we play, even for the top players.

WTA Finals: Score | Draw | Order of Play

“I think the main thing I want to avoid is forgetting that it was also a good season and I still won some (she pauses and smiles)… great tournaments. I won a Grand Slam, so …

So… Swiatek will head to Paradise to work, hoping to continue her tour-best run in the Chetumal division, which has three of its four major champions this year. Second seed Swiatek will face seventh seed Matata Vondrousova on Monday, followed by third seed Coco Gauff against sixth seed Ons Jabr.

How’s that for a remarkable turn of events? Despite her fantastic 2022 season, if she can capture the points title in Mexico, Swiatek will add one point to her win total and regain the No. 1 spot in the world. She has won 130 games over the past two years. Swiatek is likely to become the first player to win more than 130 games in two years since Serena Williams achieved 136 a decade ago.

Perhaps it was the excitement of the discovery a year ago that a new face unexpectedly filled the void left by Ashley Barty’s retirement. This year, 19-year-old Goff has attracted such attention. Reality? The 22-year-old Swiatek already has four Grand Slam singles titles. Perhaps that’s one reason why her major results outside Roland Garros (the last 16 at the Australian Open and U.S. Open and the quarterfinals at Wimbledon) feel so inadequate.

Back in August, Swiatek received a lot of angry messages after a three-set victory over Cheng Chin-wen in Cincinnati.

“The amount of hate and criticism that my team and I get, even if we lose a set, is ridiculous,” Swiatek said at the time. “Seeing the people I work with and myself, we’re really being judged, it’s I feel a little sad today, even though I got off to a bad start in the game, but I hope people can see how I figure it out and how I actually get out of it.

“We all sacrificed a lot and we all worked really hard to get to that place. “We all give 100 percent of what we can do every day. “

Swiatek not only has a ton of wins this year, but the quality is impeccable as well. That’s something worth keeping in mind as this tournament unfolds.

Only two players here are better than .500 than the other seven singles players Swiatek and Sabalenka, and they’re not even close. Swiatek (27-13, .675) holds an impressive advantage over Sabalenka (22-18, .550). And, just like last year, Swiatek leads all players with eight top-10 wins.

“Compared to 2022, I can tell you with a lot of confidence that I probably won’t have another season like this,” Swiatek said, “but I’m going to try my best.

“Of course, outside expectations, that’s definitely something that has given me pause at times this season. “I’m going to try not to let it stop me this time. “