In the 50-year history of the Hologic WTA Tour, few women have engineered an inaugural run as World No.1 like Iga Swiatek. As she embarks on her 54th consecutive week as the No.1 player in the world, we look back on the 21-year-old Polish star’s remarkable first year atop the rankings.
How she got there: At 19 years old, Swiatek became Poland’s first Grand Slam champion after her stunning run to the 2020 Roland Garros title. Ranked No.54, she did not come close to losing a set during the fortnight, becoming Paris’ first teenage champion in 23 years. She lost just 28 games, tied for the second-fewest games lost to win the French Open — only one opponent was able to avoid a 6-1 set.
How dominant was Swiatek’s 2020 Roland Garros run?
Swiatek would make her Top 10 debut the following year in 2021, reaching a career-high No.4 but began her 2022 campaign at No.9. Already acknowledged as one of the tour’s best on clay, Swiatek shot out of the gates immediately, making her first hard-court Slam semifinal at the Australian Open.
The moment she became No.1: In February of 2022, Swiatek began what would become a historic 37-match winning streak through the remainder of the spring hard courts and clay season. Ranked No.8 in Doha, Swiatek defeated a trio of Top 7 players to win her first WTA 1000 hard-court title. She followed it up with a gritty effort at Indian Wells.
In a final that would determine who would leave California with the No.2 ranking, No.4 Swiatek defeated No.6 Maria Sakkari in the final to win back-to-back titles for the first time in her career and rise to a career-high No.2.
As she readied for her opening match against Viktorija Golubic in Miami the following week, reigning World No.1 Ashleigh Barty announced her sudden and immediate retirement from the sport. Swiatek had been the new World No.2 for just a handful of days before the prospect of rising to No.1 became tantalizingly close. A win over Golubic would assure her the No.1 ranking after Miami.
Swiatek responded by losing just two games, defeating the Swiss 6-2, 6-0. But she didn’t stop there. Knowing that she was assured to become Poland’s first…