Former WTA star Dominika Cibulkova has told Tennis365 Iga Swiatek can return to world No 1 as she expressed her admiration for the Polish great.
Swiatek is the most successful player of her generation, having won 25 WTA Tour titles, including six Grand Slams: four Roland Garros titles, one US Open title and one Wimbledon title.
The 25-year-old has spent 125 weeks as the world No 1 across two separate stints — the first of which lasted 75 weeks from April 2022 to September 2023.
It has, though, largely been a difficult last 18 months for Swiatek by the lofty standards she has set, with her Wimbledon triumph last year the major high point during this period.
Swiatek is currently eighth in the WTA Rankings after her Wimbledon title defence ended with a third round loss to Alex Eala earlier this month.
Cibulkova, a former world No 4, assessed that Swiatek has been “losing against herself” in an exclusive interview with Tennis365,
“I am cheering for Iga Swiatek. I think the matches when she’s losing, she’s losing against herself,” said the Slovak.
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“So, I think when she’s there mentally, and when she’s ready, and when she’s tough and strong, there are not many players that can beat her.
“It’s all about confidence. Of course, you have to train hard and practise a lot, but yes, the confidence… if you are not in the right mood, you can lose the confidence by one match.”
Swiatek finished 2022 and 2023 as the world No 1, but her most recent week in top spot was in October 2024, with Aryna Sabalenka occupying the position ever since.
Asked if Swiatek can get back to the top of the rankings, Cibulkova replied: “I think, for sure, she can get back to No 1. I’m pretty sure that she can get back there.”
Before she retired in 2019, Cibulkova faced Sabalenka twice — at the 2018 Wuhan Open and the 2019 French Open — and she lost both matches to the Belarusian star.
Cibulkova praised the current world No 1’s powerful game, but made it clear that Swiatek is her “favourite” player.
“Yes, Sabalenka is strong,” said Cibulkova.
“When I look from my perspective… I played against her when I was finishing my career, and she’s a powerhouse.
“She’s a great player, but my favourite is Swiatek.”
During a stellar career, Cibulkova won eight WTA Tour titles — the biggest of which came at the 2016 WTA Finals. She was also a runner-up to Li Na at the 2014 Australian Open.
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The post ‘Iga Swiatek is my favourite player – and she can get back to world No 1’, says ex-WTA star appeared first on Tennis365.
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