By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Thursday November 9, 2023
After locking up the WTA’s No.1 ranking by claiming her maiden WTA Finals title on Monday in Cancun, Iga Swiatek sent some parting words to fans, along with praise for all of her peers on the WTA Tour.
“I want to thank the amazing women I compete with on tour,” she said. “Thanks to you, I constantly want to be a better player. Every one of us has our own story and we can tell those stories together through our sport. I’m grateful for you and for this opportunity.”
This season, Swiatek was clearly pushed by Aryna Sabalenka, who fought valiantly in her best season to win her maiden major title and eventually claim the No.1 ranking for the first time. She also gave up some ground to other peers like Coco Gauff, who finally earned her first win against her in Cincinnati, before the teenager won her first Slam title at the US Open, and Elena Rybakina, who earned three wins over Swiatek this season.
Jessica Pegula also claimed two wins over the Pole in 2023.
By becoming the dominant force on tour in 2022, Swiatek has helped elevate the level of the tour in a big way. This year, as the rest of the tour fought for their own moments in the sun, they helped Swiatek find the level that she reached at the conclusion of the season, as she won titles in Beijing and Cancun to solidify her bid for player of the year accolades.
“What a season that was… I saw, did and learned so much,” Swiatek wrote. “Before I’ll start my much needed vacation, I would like to leave here some words of appreciation, gratitude and some thoughts. “I would like to thank my team. I wouldn’t be in this place without you. I want to thank everyone who supports me every day through the ups and downs of every season.
“The best things happen to us when… we stop chasing them.”