The world of tennis witnesses the fascinating growth of players, from amateurs to legends. It brings several highs and lows. Iga Swiatek, the former world No.1 who rose to the top at such a young age, found herself on a journey that tested her with the toughest competition and challenges. One such challenge, witnessed by the whole tennis community, made her journey seem somewhat similar to that of the legendary Serena Williams.

Iga Swiatek’s 2023 season has been quite an adventure. Her impressive form helped her secure yet another Grand Slam title in Paris, her fourth overall. Amid this journey to the top, the whole tennis world keenly witnessed her rivalry with the American tennis star, Coco Gauff. Recently, tennis legend Pam Shriver talked about the rivalry in particular and made the conversation a hit by comparing it with the 23-time Grand Slam champion.

Pam Shriver compares the journey of Iga Swiatek with that of Serena Williams

The former World No. 1 Iga Swiatek faced many opponents in her journey to the top. Giving fans a perfect show of competitiveness, the champion defeated many dominant players on her way. Coco Gauff is one such player who stood in the way of the Pole on more than one occasion. Having faced each other in a total of 9 matches, Iga stands way ahead of the young American with a score of 8-1. However, Iga Swiatek’s defeat against Coco Gauff at the Cincinnati Open semi-finals triggered a feeling of revenge in the Polish star, leading to a journey that the legend Pam Shriver saw Serena Williams undertake throughout her incredible career.

In a conversation about the rising tennis stars at the Tennis Channel Inside In podcast, Pam Shriver took a deep dive into the rivalry. Sharing her analysis of the same, she mentioned, “Well, you know, you think about how Serena responded to say, having losses, the revenge tour that she might have been on at certain points of her career. And I think Iga took that when she faced Coco. I mean obviously Coco had the wrong side of that, set after set after set. She was able to come out on top in Cincinnati and then Iga you know she would have gone into that next match after the loss totally motivated to figure some things out.” 

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While the conversation pointed towards Serena’s revenge journey, it happened to be a worthy example as the legend was no doubt a remarkable fighter.

Serena’s revenge journey

Serena Williams, the tennis legend, has always been renowned for her exciting comeback stories. Throughout her glorious career, Serena faced numerous setbacks, injuries, and losses, but she always bounced back stronger. In 2014, the legend faced a humiliating defeat against Romania’s Simona Halep in the first round of the WTA Finals. Serena, being herself, showed great determination and avenged her defeat at a much bigger level later in the championship match in Singapore.

ALSO READ: Coco Gauff’s Glorious US Open Run Diminished As Former Australian Professional Refuses To Write Off Kryptonite Iga Swiatek

Iga Swiatek’s performance in the 2023 season, including her rivalry with Coco Gauff, was somewhat similar and therefore, Shriver compared it to that of Serena. As the young Polish star maintains her position as one of the best players, the comparisons with the legendary Serena Williams will only increase.

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