Iga Swiatek new number one after Ashleigh Barty’s resignation: “I cried for 40 minutes”

And she won’t give up her throne anytime soon. At least that’s what Justine Henin thinks.

The Belgian, who won seven Grand Slam titles during her career, identified the upcoming clay court season as the reason. “It is undoubtedly an advantage for Iga that we are now playing outside on clay. It suits her. She has more time to build up her game and develop her power on this surface,” emphasizes Henin in an exclusive interview with Eurosport. “The clay court season comes at just the right time for Iga!”

In fact, the young Pole feels right at home on the red background. After her coup at Roland-Garros almost two years ago, the 20-year-old also won the title at the top tournament in Rome in the previous season.

Henin: Swiatek must avoid this mistake

A smart move. The past few weeks have been tough, and there have recently been slight problems on the right arm.

Swiatek will attack fresh on clay. Henin warns that she mustn’t make just one mistake. “Iga must not fall into the trap of putting pressure on herself to win every match because she is number one. Instead, she should see it as a positive privilege and tell herself that she didn’t steal this spot from anyone,” says the 39 year old.

Swiatek moved by Barty’s decision

Now it’s up to Swiatek to lead their sport as the best. A new challenge for which she seems prepared despite her young age. “She’s ready to be number one because she won Roland-Garros without dropping a set. Iga has done well in the other Grand Slams and has been preparing for a long time to be in the professional tennis spotlight.” , explained Mats Wilander in the Eurosport interview.

Krejcikova and Badosa chase Swiatek

Swiatek is already “very complete, mature and ready to explore all possibilities to become a better tennis player,” praises the Swede, who was once number one in the ATP ranking for 20 weeks.