Iga Swiatek is the #1 player in the world and a four-time Grand Slam champion. But not everyone thinks her emergence has been a positive for women’s tennis. Former US Open semifinalist Jimmy Arias caused a stir in the tennis world for his comments about Swiatek. Arias argued that Swiatek has not been great for women’s tennis, and that the Pole wearing her hat so low stops people from seeing her personality and developing a connection.
Arias is of course entitled to his opinion like anybody else. However I could not disagree with him more strongly. I think Swiatek has been excellent for the women’s game. This article argues why Arias or anyone who shares his opinion of Swiatek is incorrect.
Why Iga Swiatek has Been Great for Women’s Tennis
1. The Quality of Swiatek’s Tennis
I do not doubt that Jimmy Arias appreciates and understands the quality of Swiatek’s game. But his words seem to indicate that the level of tennis a player produces is not the primary measure of their impact on the game. I firmly believe the opposite. The primary job of a #1 ranked player is to raise the standard of tennis through their performance level.
Swiatek has certainly done that. In June she became the first player to win 15 or more sets 6-0 in consecutive years since 2001. And she has added to her tally since then, most recently in her final victory at the Warsaw Open. With over three months of the season left, she may overtake Serena Williams, who has the highest number of bagel sets in a season since 2000 (25 in 2013) Such utter domination of opponents during matches is reminiscent of Roger Federer when he dominated from 2004-2007. The Swiss legend eventually made his opponents better, and Swiatek is doing the same for her rivals.
In addition, her three French Open titles in four years is the most domination seen at Roland Garros in the women’s game since Justine Henin won three in a row from 2005-2007. Hence Swiatek plays a standard of clay court tennis not seen in 16 years. And she is so good on the dirt I believe she could have challenged the great Henin at her best.
Swiatek’s level is a far better way to judge her effect on women’s tennis than how low she wears her hat. There is no doubt she has increased the quality of the WTA tour.
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2. The Style of Swiatek’s Game
The best players are good for the game if they raise standards through unprecedented results like Swiatek has. But they are even better for tennis if they do it with a particularly attractive style. Swiatek has also achieved this with her wonderfully varied brand of tennis.
Firstly her movement is among the best the women’s game has ever seen. The stunning defensive shots she manages can often be more thrilling than watching other players hit the same types of winners repeatedly over the course of a match. Swiatek’s movement is exceptional on all surfaces, but especially on her favoured clay courts. I do not think women’s tennis has ever witnessed a better mover on the dirt, which is one of the principal reasons I believe she has made the clay court season as watchable as it ever has been.
Secondly, Swiatek is able to construct points in different ways. The 22-year-old regularly hits her forehand with heavy topspin, pushing her opponent further and further back over the course of a long rally before suddenly unleashing at the right moment. Alternatively, she can flatten out shots equally as well, with her two-handed backhand up the line being devastating. Finally, the Pole is comfortable coming to the net. She does not do so all the time, but it is a tactic she used off the right groundstroke or by surprise.
There has been an increase in players trying to hit hard and flat almost every shot in a rally. That is not a criticism of those players, but having a #1 player with as complete a game as Swiatek makes her even better for women’s tennis to add variety. Achieving such excellent results in a uniquely watchable manner is the perfect combination.
3. Swiatek’s On-court Demeanour
Despite her rapid rise, Swiatek does a good job of usually staying calm and composed on court. She also steers clear of creating any controversy. The only mini-controversy was when the 15-time WTA champion was criticised for jumping and waving her hands in the air at the net while her opponents tried to finish a point. This happened against Lauren Davis at the US Open and Donna Vekic in the San Diego final. Frankly, the level of outrage from some over those incidents was ludicrous. It was an instinctive and involuntary reaction from Swiatek, and she apologised anyway to Vekic during the match and in interviews afterwards. It is certainly not something to sully her name with.
In reality, Swiatek is an excellent example to kids watching of how to conduct yourself on court. If she loses her point or is not playing her best, there is never any racquet smashing or shouting towards her box. The Pole simply keeps her head down, moves onto the next point, and keeps fighting. More emotional players can of course still be good for tennis with the quality and style of their tennis. But I argue that conducting oneself as Swiatek does is another positive point to her name. Jimmy Arias seems to feel her more lowkey demeanour somehow makes her bad for women’s tennis. Yet Roger Federer was famed for his calm and focused attitude on the court. Did Arias or anyone else feel this made him in some way bad for men’s tennis? Obviously not.
4. Swiatek is an Inspiration to Those Who Find Socializing Difficult
There are sportspeople who revel in the increased attention that fame brings. Those individuals are likely to have been at least somewhat extroverted throughout their lives, and thus were ready for the spotlight from a young age. Swiatek was the opposite. She has opened up about being an introvert, and struggled to look people in the eyes until she was 18. Although it is not as extreme now, Swiatek is still naturally introverted, and has said she does not care much about being on billboards. Even though the four-time Grand Slam champion always speaks well in her post-match interviews, it is clear she does not feel as natural doing it as some others do.
But this is another reason why she is good not just for women’s tennis, but all tennis. It is fantastic when the sport has role models for different types of people. There are many individuals who find socialising as or even more difficult than Swiatek did, and may feel there is no place for them in tennis or any other sport despite the passion they may have for it. Swiatek’s story gives hope and optimism to those people; an introvert is currently the best world’s best female tennis player. It shows the world that it is okay to be your own unique person.
This knowledge makes Swiatek’s on-court demeanour unsurprising, and there is nothing wrong with that. I am in no way implying that Jimmy Arias was in some way mocking Swiatek for being an introvert. But words like his are capable of causing anxiety to people who find socializing and the wider world difficult. It is important to always be as mindful as possible.
Conclusion
Overall I strongly believe that Swiatek is not only good for tennis, but is even better than most other female #1 players have been for the sport. This article has given four reasons why this is the case. Former players like Jimmy Arias will always be entitled to their opinion, and I respect him and all other commentators who disagree with me. But I think it would be best to give Swiatek’s already sizeable contribution to women’s tennis the respect it deserves. And she is only getting started at the age of just 22.
Main Photo Credit: Taya Gray/The Desert Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK
