Iga Swiatek full flight is a worrying sight for any of her opponents on the WTA Tour.
She has the ability to hit clean winners very early in rallies, and her aggressive play with supreme footwork is a devastating combination for her opponents to face.
These are some of the reasons why the 23-year-old spent 125 weeks as the WTA Tour’s World number one, the seventh-highest total of all time..
Having lost that spot at the end of 2024 to Aryna Sabalenka, Swiatek will be determined to gain the position back, while also adding to her list of Grand Slam titles.
Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty ImagesWhich WTA player finds Iga Swiatek’s game ‘scary’?
Iga Swiatek has developed a reputation on court for her aggressive and relentless style of play, especially on clay.
She gives her opponents little time to set themselves during matches and her footwork always allows Swiatek to be in the correct position to hit her desired shot.
The Pole is also a very capable defender and has an impressive ability to turn defence into attack within the blink of an eye.
One of Swiatek’s fellow WTA players and World number 159 Jodie Burrage has been watching her closely, and is frightened by how dominant Swiatek can be. “They are different gravy. It feels like I can’t actually compare myself to them yet,” Burrage told Tennis365.
“After playing them, you do realise they have holes in their game, but they are very good. Iga (Swiatek) scares me. The way she bagels people, it scares me!
“I watch a lot of tennis now and that is something that has changed for me in recent years. I think it helps when you see what those guys do and how they play.”
Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty ImagesJodie Burge explains what she discovered about facing top the players
Burrage has yet to play Swiatek, but she did face World number one Sabalenka at the 2023 US Open. She managed just five games against the Belarusian, who went on to make the final, losing to Coco Gauff.
From that experience and making the decision to watch more of the top players’ matches, this gave Burrage more belief that she can hold her own against the top-ranked players.
“When I played against Sabalenka in the second round of the US Open last year, I really wasn’t happy with how I played, but it was still only 6-3 6-2,” she said.
“I had a few break point chances and other opportunities. I wasn’t happy about how I hit my forehand in that match and yet I still managed to win games and create chances.
“After playing them, you do realise they have holes in their game, but they are very good. When I played Sabalenka at the US Open, it helped that I had watched her play a lot and knew what she would do.”
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