Iga Swiatek is the No. 1 ranked women’s tennis player in the world.
So Swiatek smoothly winning 6-4, 6-2 in the third round of the 2024 US Open isn’t shocking.
However, Swiatek was especially dominant on Saturday, and the Polish tennis star revealed that she had some extra inspiration on the way to the fourth round.
“It was really nice to see her,” Swiatek said. “She has a lot of positive energy.”
“She” is Serena Williams — a 23-time Grand Slam winner who inspired Swiatek before another powerful victory.
Williams was seen chatting with Swiatek before the straight-sets win and was playfully teased by the WTA as a “special visitor.”
“Legend in the making and the GOAT,” one fan tweeted.
“Love this,” a second fan wrote. “Fave talking to fave.”
“Simply the best of the bests, Serena!!!” a third fan wrote. “We miss you.”
The 23-year-old Swiatek stands 5ft 9in and was born in Warsaw.
She won the US Open in 2022 and has captured the French Open four times.
Seeing Williams back near the court clearly inspired Swiatek, who dominated Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova on the way to the fourth round.
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“It’s nice that she came on-site and she was chatting with the players,” Swiatek said.
“It was nice that she approached me, because I wouldn’t, for sure, find courage to do that.
“Even though we met before and for like a couple of years we have been on the same sides and on tour together, she’s still like star-striking for me.”
The retired Williams won 73 singles titles and earned more than $94 million in prize money during her career.
She won the US Open six times, captured Wimbledon seven times, and is regarded as one of the greatest tennis players in history.
Swiatek is set to face Liudmila Samsonova on Monday in the fourth round of the 2024 US Open in Queens, New York.
News Summary:
- ‘Star struck’ Iga Swiatek reveals what Serena Williams told her in pre-match chat before dominant US Open win
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