By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Sunday September 5, 2021
One of Iga Swiatek’s stated goals after she raced the Roland-Garros title in 2020 was to become a model of consistency on tour. She may be hard on herself at times, but there’s no doubt about the fact that Swiatek has succeeded. Want proof? On Saturday at the US Open the Pole, still 20, defeated Anett Kontaveit to reach the second week in Flushing Meadows for the first time. Why is that important?
Swiatek is the only WTA player to have managed to reach the second week at all four Grand Slams in 2021.
💪 4. round of a Grand Slam for the fourth time this year. I always want to be better and keep working, but... that's kind of stat that makes me proud of myself (and that doesn't happen often hah). I'm really grateful for #teamSwiatek#secondweek #jazda @usopen pic.twitter.com/nxnHYlafIW
— Iga Świątek (@iga_swiatek) September 4, 2021
Swiatek was asked her thoughts on the achievement after she took out Kontaveit in three sets to set up a fourth-round battle with Olympic gold medalist Belinda Bencic.
“I'm pretty proud of that,” she said. “I was thinking about it, like, two days ago that it's the only year basically when I don't have any injury and I don't have to deal with that. I have other problems right now, but it's easier when my body's actually listening to me. So I'm just proud of my team and I'm really grateful I'm getting all the help that I need, all the support. I'm pretty happy that I'm consistent. But I know without them it wouldn't be like that. Yeah, shout-out to my team.”
Swiatek, true to form, says she still seeks a different, higher level of consistency. Her role model in that regard is World No.1 Ash Barty.
“I am proud,” she said. “But like the best kind of consistency is when you can win, like, five titles a year. So right now I'm looking at the results that Ash has when it's, comparing to that, I'm not, like, 100 percent consistent. But I'm glad that I'm just, comparing to other players, I'm consistent.