Iga Swiatek has transformed into her rivals’ worst nightmare in recent months.
The Pole, who went on a 37-match win streak in 2022, has lost just one of her last 16 matches dating back to the start of Wimbledon.
In that period, Swiatek won her first Wimbledon Ladies Singles title and lifted her first Cincinnati Open trophy.
In the Cincinnati Open final against Jasmine Paolini, Swiatek demonstrated her grit, fighting back from 0-3 down in the first set to eventually win the contest 7-5 6-4.
Swiatek’s recent form has been a marvel, and one commentator has pinpointed a particular area of Swiatek’s game that has helped her recapture this form.
David Law says Iga Swiatek ‘puts away’ mid-court balls better than any other player
British sports broadcaster David Law weighed in on the Cincinnati Open final while speaking on The Tennis Podcast.
Law, who is a frequently-heard commentator during the BBC’s yearly Wimbledon coverage, described Swiatek’s play in the Cincinnati Open final as an ‘absolute joy.’
Law, who co-hosts the podcast alongside Catherine Whitaker and Matt Roberts, said: “Watching her play yesterday was an absolute joy. Watching the whole match was in fact because Paolini really brought it.
“She went 3-0 up. That was quite a lot to do with the fact that Swiatek was missing early on and sort of overhitting and overpressing. But once she’d found her game, I mean she won the next five games.
“It’s actually a really tough matchup on paper, I think, for Paolini. She’s not done well against her, she’s never beaten her, and you can see why because the moment she leaves any ball remotely short Swiatek just puts it away.
“I don’t think there’s a player in the world who puts away a mid-court ball better than Iga Swiatek in terms of choosing which way to go, virtually always wrong footing the opponent, and always putting it on a dime in the corner.
“She has a brilliant ability to do that.”
Iga Swiatek closes in on Aryna Sabalenka in the WTA Finals race
Iga Swiatek has moved to within 600 points of Aryna Sabalenka in the WTA Finals race.
The Polish star gained more ground on the world number one after winning the Cincinnati Open. Swiatek received 1000 points from winning the competition, meaning she has now won 7,103 WTA points so far this year.
Sabalenka reached the quarter-finals in Cincinnati before losing to 2022 Wimbledon Ladies Singles champion Elena Rybakina. The Belarusian gained 215 points.
The world number one now sits on 7,610 points: just 507 more than Swiatek.
Swiatek could overtake Sabalenka at the US Open if she can outperform the world number one and reigning US Open Ladies Singles champion.
The WTA finals, currently held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, will welcome the seven players who have won the most WTA points in 2025. The final eighth spot is given to the highest-ranking reigning Grand Slam winner.
