Iga Swiatek, the world number one tennis player, has taken her latest loss in her stride. Swiatek arrived at her third final of 2023, on the back of a nine-match winning streak and was the favorite to win. But Aryna Sabalenka triumphed in a seesaw affair on the clay courts of Spain, winning a tense three-set final to exact revenge on the Pole who defeated her in the Stuttgart final last month.
Despite losing, Swiatek praised Sabalenka, stating that they both played well, and that Sabalenka was the better player on the day. While Swiatek believes she could have been more proactive at times, she reassured reporters that she did everything she could and has no major regrets. Swiatek knows the pressure is on, holding tightly to the top ranking since September last year and with the French Open looming later this month, where she will defend her Champion title.
The Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome is the final tune-up before the second major of the season at Roland Garros. Swiatek will be using the build-up to the French Open, where she boasts a superlative 21-2 record, to focus on other things to motivate her, reiterating that the trick to staying at the top is not to believe that you will stay there forever, but rather to find other motivations and interests to drive you forward. Regardless of her loss in Madrid, Swiatek continues to be well-respected within the tennis world.
