Grand Slam champion and World No. 1 tennis player Iga Swiatek has been named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2023.
The 21-year-old Polish player is not heralded for her impressive on-court accomplishments which include 54 consecutive weeks as the No. 1 player in the world or her four Grand Slam titles.
Instead, she is celebrated for advocating for mental health and for the plight of the Ukrainians in the ongoing war with Russia.
World Cup Skiing icon Mikaela Shiffrin wrote the piece on Swiatek.
Here is how Shiffrin describes Swiatek.
“As an athlete, and more importantly as a human, she embodies the kind of confidence that everyone should emulate—the confidence of action over mere talk.”
Shiffrin also noted that Swiatek’s rise to the top of the tennis rankings is especially remarkable because of the “limited resources” she had in Poland.
Swiatek has been the most vocal non-Ukrainian tennis player.
Iga Swiatek talks about the war between Ukraine and Russia 👇 pic.twitter.com/CqeMAxBxzw
— FirstSportz Tennis (@FS_Tennis1) April 10, 2023
She wears the Ukrainian flag on her hat.
Swiatek has not hidden behind her sport or her top ranking on the issue, and she has been critical of her sport and peers at times for their behaviors and opinions about the ongoing war.
Swiatek Talks About Time Recognition
She took to Twitter to express her surprise at the honor.
“I have never thought that something like this will happen to me. Thank you @TIME for this incredible honor and recognition. And thank you @MikaelaShiffrinfor your words. It means a lot.”
Swiatek Has Not Played Since Indian Wells
Tennis fans are eager to see Swiatek back on the court.
She has not played since losing at Indian Wells to eventual champion Elena Rybakina.
A rib injury sidelined her from the Miami Open and this weekend’s Billie Jean King Cup qualifying matches.
She has resumed training and presumably will be on the European clay court swing of the spring season.
Two of Swiatek’s four Grand Slam wins are at Roland Garros (2020 and 2022) so she needs to be 100% healthy to defend that title when play begins on May 22, 2023.
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