World No. 1 Iga Swiatek has won her last 35 matches and she has beaten the record Serena Williams set in 2013. In 2013, Williams won 34 matches before losing to Sabine Lisicki at Wimbledon. This past Saturday, Swiatek defeated Cori Gauff in the French Open final to clinch her 35th consecutive win.
Also, Swiatek tied Venus Williams’ record from 2000 (35 consecutive wins). Reflecting on beating Serena Williams’ record, Swiatek said the American has accomplished so much that beating one of her records is basically the best thing you can do in tennis.
“Honestly, it wasn’t my target. I felt like I don’t have full control over doing that so I really didn’t want it to be my goal. But after the match I checked. Doing something better than Serena kind of, it’s the best thing you can get in tennis, basically, after what she’s done for so many years.
No one is going to take it from me, you know? I’m pretty happy I could achieve that and I don’t even know how that happened, honestly. It’s all pretty weird,” Swiatek told the WTA insider podcast.
Swiatek hasn’t lost since February
Swiatek went through the Double Sunshine and the whole clay court season without a loss.
It is not a secret that grass is Swiatek’s weakest surface and she won’t be thinking too much about her winning streak when she kicks off her grass season. “I think when I’m going to start Wimbledon I’m just going to think about getting through the first matches.
I won’t think about the streak because I know it’s not helping me. I did the same here and I know how to separate my mind from that and focus on tennis,” Swiatek explained. “But right now for sure, I can think about that a little bit more and I would love to add some matches to that streak.
But I feel that chapter is closed for sure for clay season, but also after the Sunshine Double I didn’t really have a lot of time to rest and I really want to rest right now after Roland Garros. Because back then I was like I’ll have three days off, but I couldn’t really stop thinking about the season. Right now I think I will have more time and I really want to do my best at resting.”
Source: Tennis World USA