Mikaela Shiffrin Compares WTA Superstar to Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, receives high praises in return: “Really Like How She Dealt With…”

The beauty of sports lies in appreciating each other. A great example was set recently by world no.1 female tennis player Iga Swiatek. The young tennis prodigy has been ruling the arena for the past 42 days. Even though the two-time French Open winner has won many feathers in her cap, she takes inspiration from athletes around her. After a smashing performance at the Australian Open on Friday, the tennis star had great things to say about skiing legend Mikaela Shiffrin.

In response, Shiffrin compared Swiatek to tennis legends Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer after Swiatek expressed her admiration towards her.

Iga Swiatek expressed admiration for Mikaela Shiffrin

Swiatek took the opportunity to talk about her inspiration, Mikaela Shiffrin, after winning the match against Spanish tennis star Cristina Bucsa. Talking about the greatness of Shiffrin, the Polish player expressed her fondness for the skier’s mental health advocacy. Swiatek herself has been very vocal about her mental well-being, and therefore admires the skier for doing the same.

In an interview with Eurosport, the tennis star praises Shiffrin effusively. She says, “I really appreciate what Mikaela is doing about mental health.”. “She’s a champion, and speaking about all the things she struggles with, it’s helping other athletes understand what it’s like to be an athlete, and what challenges we face, and how to overcome them.”, the tennis prodigy added.

Swiatek stated that she and Shiffrin have tried to meet each other many times. However, as both athletes have been super busy in their sports, they have not been able to take out time for it. Swiatek also spoke about the comparisons being drawn between the two athletes.

Read More: “Never Know What Could Happen to an Athlete”: Skiing Legend Mikaela Shiffrin Ignites Love From Local Stars As She Closes in on an Iconic Feat

The tennis player stated that it was useless to compare tennis and ski players. Moreover, Swiatek appreciated Shiffrin’s ability to overcome mental pressure while performing. She stated, “In sport, nothing comes for free. I really like how she dealt with that. The way she skis, she doesn’t often get injured”. Swiatek strongly feels that it is important to take care of one’s mental health since not everyone can be equally resilient.

Iga Swiatek talked about how she takes care of her mental health

The moments before any championship can be pretty vulnerable for an athlete’s mental well-being. Swiatek expressed that people stereotyped the emotional side of athletes as their weakness. However, that may not be true. She explained that she expressed her emotional side to gain strength from it.

Moreover, Swiatek also has a therapist who helps her feel powerful before matches and gives her the confidence to face the consequences. The tennis star is evidently proud of taking care of herself. What do you think of Swiatek and Shiffrin’s mental health advocacy?

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