Martina Navratilova thinks Iga Swiatek will also be finishing the 2023 season ranked at No 1 in the world. Swiatek, 21, replaced Ashleigh Barty at the top spot after the Australian announced a shock retirement from tennis at the age of 25 in late March.
In 2022, Swiatek captured two Grand Slam titles and won eight of her nine finals. Swiatek is dominantly holding the world No 1 position as she has 11,085 rankings. Ons Jabeur, who is ranked at No 2 in the world, is not anywhere near Swiatek as she has 5,055 points.
In an interview for the WTA Tour, Navratilova was asked whether she sees Swiatek retaining the world No 1 ranking for the entire 2023 season.
Navratilova: Yes, Swiatek is so consistent
“I do, I do. I don’t see anybody knocking her off — because she’s so consistent.
She wins majors — and she’s consistent. Usually, it’s one or the other. She’s got them both going on at the same time. I think to see if she’s making any changes, adding to her game again. This past year, she made more forays to the net, and it made a big difference,” Navratilova told the WTA Tour website.
Swiatek will have lots of points to defend in 2023 but she has established herself as the most dominant player on the WTA Tour and many believe the Pole can easily win multiple Grand Slams in 2023. In January, Swiatek will be looking to win her fourth Grand Slam title at the Australian Open.
Swiatek currently has two French Open and one US Open title. If Swiatek wins the Australian Open, she would just need a Wimbledon title to complete a Career Grand Slam. In early 2022, Swiatek made her first Australian Open semifinal before losing to Danielle Collins. Going into the 2023 Australian Open, Swiatek is viewed as the top favorite to win the title at Melbourne Park.
