Iga Swiatek stated Thursday she discovered lots about herself this yr and hopes to proceed the shape which returned her to the world primary rating in a dramatic finish to the season, with the Paris Olympics a key purpose for 2024.
The Pole outlined her plans previous to the Friday begin of the 18-nation blended groups United Cup in Perth and Sydney, forward of the Australian Open in January.
The 22-year-old and ATP Shanghai Masters champion Hubert Hurkacz headline the Polish staff and are high seeds, beginning their marketing campaign on Saturday towards Brazil.
Swiatek got here by means of heroically below huge strain final month to dominate Jessica Pegula 6-1, 6-0 and win the WTA Finals in Cancun to regain the highest spot she held for a lot of the previous two seasons.Swiatek got here by means of heroically below huge strain final month to dominate Jessica Pegula 6-1, 6-0 and win the WTA Finals in Cancun to regain the highest spot she held for a lot of the previous two seasons.
“Regardless that my rating on the finish of the yr was just like 2022, this season was completely totally different,” she stated. “A lot of ups and downs and a few struggles that we needed to cope with.
“Enjoying these matches in Cancun with such a baggage on my shoulders when it comes to rankings, it gave me plenty of confidence. I discovered lots about myself. I’m going to take that into 2024.”
Swiatek, who had a browsing lesson on Thursday, referred to as the United Cup “a superb probability to start out the season in a barely totally different method.”
Ties comprise males’s and girls’s singles and a blended doubles, with international locations cut up into six teams of three competing in a round-robin format.
ALSO READ: Djokovic expects Nadal again for extra Grand Slams not simply to play
“This can be a particular occasion,” the winner of 4 Grand Slam titles stated. “It’s thrilling and totally different from some other. Final yr the environment was fairly nice. I’m fairly positive this yr goes to be the identical.
“It’s a special emotional baggage once you play in your nation. I used to be actually proud of how I carried out (at United Cup) final yr.
“Sadly we misplaced within the semi-finals. We gained plenty of expertise. Hopefully, we’re going to have the ability to use it this yr.”
Whereas she juggles the restart of the WTA Tour after lower than a two-month pause, Swiatek can also be attempting to plan for the Paris Olympics in July-August.
“I solely performed (Olympics) as soon as and the strain was big. After I misplaced towards Paula (Badosa), I cried, it was an enormous fuss,” she stated of her Tokyo Olympics expertise.
“For positive this time goes to be somewhat bit totally different. I’m going to know the venue (Roland Garros). It’s on my favorite floor.
“However these (Olympics) additionally deliver up extra expectations from the surface. I assume I’ll need to do the identical sort of work as I do at each different event.
“I’m not going to deceive myself that it’s going to be straightforward. If I’m going to be in the correct mindset and centered on the correct stuff tennis-wise, I believe I can carry out in addition to at different tournaments.”