Iga Swiatek reflects on her and Coco Gauff’s tennis journey from juniors to professional level
Iga Swiatek reflected on her and Coco Gauff’s journey from juniors to the WTA Tour, noting their shared luck in navigating the transition.Ahead of her Italian Open semifinal match against Gauff, Swiatek commented on the prospect of facing her former junior peers. The Polish tennis star said that she found this aspect of the sport enjoyable, adding depth to rivalries.
“I think it’s fun. I think that’s how we create kind of a bigger story sometimes behind these matches. It’s a challenge. It’s interesting for the fans, as well. Yeah, for sure there are plenty of players that I played against in juniors. I’m happy that I’m the one that got to the top of the rankings,” Iga Swiatek said in her post-match press conference.
Swiatek also expressed satisfaction with her junior achievements, despite not facing Gauff directly. She emphasized the importance of early career decisions and credited her fortunate choices in surrounding herself with the right people.
“Yeah, but I still remember. I haven’t played Coco in juniors. I only kind of remember her when she won Roland Garros and I lost in the semifinal against Caty McNally. You know these names,” Swiatek said.
“Life is pretty tricky. One decision you make when you’re 17 can kind of create totally different path. I’m just fortunate that I made good decisions and I had good people around me so I can be here. Coco, I guess she feels pretty similar,” she added.
