At the peak of her powers, the WTA world No. 1 allowed Netflix cameras an insider’s look into her 2022 US Open title run—and it prompted one prescient question from the 2006 champion.
AS IT HAPPENED: Tennis Channel Live discusses Iga Swiatek winning the 2022 US Open
Hailed for her mental toughness and calm on-court demeanor, Iga Swiatek had revealed that she was beatable during the buildup to the 2022 US Open.
Amid a picture-perfect season that saw her rise to world No. 1 and win 37 matches in a row, Swiatek is the focus of Break Point’s “Under Pressure”, which also follows Frances Tiafoe during an intense fortnight in New York City. The series’ ninth episode showcases not just the stark contrast in their personalities, but also the differences in their approach to the game and life in general.
While Tiafoe’s charm steals the show—with the American’s girlfriend, Ayan, undeniably being the breakout star—it’s Swiatek, at the peak of her powers, that provides Break Point viewers with the most fascinating perspective.
Swiatek lifted her third Grand Slam trophy at the US Open, and Break Point cameras captured an insider’s look into her winning fortnight.
Swiatek lifted her third Grand Slam trophy at the US Open, and Break Point cameras captured an insider’s look into her winning fortnight.
© 2022 Tim Clayton
When asked to name all the tournaments she had won in the season to date, Swiatek quipped, “You can check it on Wikipedia,” before eventually rattling off the names: Doha, Indian Wells, Miami, Stuttgart, Rome and Roland Garros. “Was that too much talking?” she asked producers with a grin.
But during the build-up to the US Open, Swiatek had struggled to close out matches and had posted early exits in Toronto, Cincinnati and at home in Warsaw—tournaments that barely get a mention on Break Point. But it was these new signs of vulnerability from Swiatek that prompted questions from former world No. 1 Maria Sharapova.
“Like a machine, she will do everything in order to be the best. I like that,” Sharapova says in a confessional. “But when you see a perfect picture of someone, when they show you that they have everything under control, do they really?”
It’s a sentiment that Swiatek echoes, too: “I feel like everybody is chasing me… I have a lot going on in my mind.”