Last year’s Qatar TotalEnergies Open marked the start of Iga Swiatek‘s 37-match winning streak, ushering in a spell of domination that would bring six consecutive titles and the No.1 singles ranking. Now that the WTA Tour is back in Doha, it’s time for the Pole to defend her title in a draw that features seven of the world’s Top 10 players.
Last year, Swiatek swept through the draw at the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex for the loss of just one set, beating three Top 10 rivals along the way. Following the triumph in Doha, Swiatek also won titles at five subsequent tournaments — Indian Wells, Miami, Stuttgart, Rome, and Roland Garros, before her unbeaten run was ended by Alize Cornet in the third round of Wimbledon. The 21-year-old Swiatek reached the No.1 ranking after Miami and firmly held on to it ever since, further solidifying her Tour dominance with US Open and San Diego titles later in the 2022 season.
What’s the situation now? For a start, is Iga Swiatek mentally and physically ready to defend her points at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open?
So far in 2023, Swiatek’s confidence was shaken by losses in the semifinals of the United Cup to Jessica Pegula and in the fourth round of the Australian Open to Elena Rybakina. The weight of expectations did…
