Although the year 2020 didn’t go as per people’s wishes, Poland’s Iga Swiatek had her wish granted. The 19-year-old teenager won her first-ever Grand Slam at the French Open this year.

To join the elite club of Rafael Nadal is something worth being proud of. Even Rafa had won his first major at the age of 19. 

The young Pole is quite an attraction amongst fans. In 2019, she won the WTA Fan Favourite Shot of the Year, hitting a drop shot from the baseline. In the current year, Iga won the WTA Fan Favourite Player of the Year. This clearly indicates that fans are fond of her. 

After she received the award, she went on to Twitter and thanked her fans. She said, “This is soooo cool. It means a lot because it seems that you – fans – value what I do and simply like me. And just so you know…I appreciate it. Thank you!”

Iga Swiatek is a people’s champion and a Grand Slam Winner

Reflecting on her performance at Roland Garros this year, not many must’ve imagined her winning the title. In her opening match, she knocked off the 2019 finalist, Marketa Vondrousova.

As the tournament progressed, she met Simona Halep in the fourth round. Much to everyone’s surprise, she dismantled the favorite who managed to win only three games in the entire match. That win made a statement.  

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Speaking of Iga’s style of play, she has an aggressive all-court game. Swiatek also likes to take the game to her opponent with her offensive approach.

She prefers the clay courts over the others. The manner in which she hits the forehand is different from the rest. The Pole prefers to generate a fair amount of topspin on it. It’s a similar approach to Nadal’s style of play. 

We’ve seen that with the years gone by, Rafa has earned a lot of success at Roland Garros with his unique style. Having a game similar to his makes Iga a definite candidate to have further success in Paris.