All good things come with time. Iga Swiatek is the one to know that. After all, she has amassed several accolades to her name and constantly stepped into glory with her impeccable mindset, one worth envy. But, has it been enough lately? With a powerful and resilient coaching team behind her, Swiatek time and again proves naysayers wrong. However, the 2024 season hasn’t done much favors for the Polish superstar. A notable journalist has contemplated whether the World No. 1 can consider changing her coach for the upcoming year.

After a rather slow start to the season, wherein the Pole faced a third-round exit at the Australian Open, she readily found her momentum and clinched the Qatar Open. Surfing through several tour-level events, Swiatek wasn’t to be denied. In a bid for a successful title defense, the young talent also pocketed the French Open. However, that’s when things went downhill for her.

Probably a hectic schedule took its toll on the Pole’s Wimbledon campaign. Later, her Paris Olympics wasn’t a total success either, despite bagging the bronze medal. Moreover, she had to endure a tough loss at the hands of Jessica Pegula in the quarterfinals of the US Open. Despite Swiatek’s recent struggles, Ben Rothenberg is not willing to propound the idea of a new coach for Swiatek.

Talking to TVP Sport, the acclaimed journalist opined that jumping to conclusions without letting the season run its course is uncalled for. Furthermore, the American highlighted that Swiatek is furnished with one of the best Polish coaches in the market, deeming it unnecessary for a change if the Pole is content with her team’s input.

Rothenberg also name-dropped Naomi Osaka, rhetorically stating if Swiatek had lost to the Japanese star in the early round of the French Open, then it could have been called a failure and he would have been prompted to call for an immediate change in the Pole’s coaching team. But that didn’t happen.

Rothernberg said, “I would see how things will turn out until the end of the season. I don’t see the need for a change before this year’s finish of the struggle – unless something is dramatically wrong, and we don’t see it. Her coach? Without a doubt, he is currently the best Polish coach. So I don’t see the need to change. Świątek is still number one. She won the Grand Slam tournament this year, so it’s hard to call this season a failure. If she lost to Osaka in the second round of the French Open, then it would be an impulse for me to discuss this topic. The most important thing is how the player feels.”

Despite facing trouble maintaining her consistency, Swiatek is still thriving and actively scripting records. To much surprise, she has now leveled a record held by a notable tennis personality.

Iga Swiatek ties Ash Barty for seventh-most weeks as World No. 1

Polish superstar Iga Swiatek can’t stop headlining the tennis world. The 23-year-old stepped into the 121st week of holding the World No. 1 position. This, in turn, has tied her with retired tennis star Ash Barty as the seventh on the all-time list for the number of weeks seated in the top spot. For those unaware, the five-time Grand Slam champion attained the No. 1 rank after bagging six back-to-back tournaments in 2022.

On Monday, Swiatek retained her World No. 1 spot for the 121st week. Notably, six women above the duo in the list who enjoyed the World No. 1 spot for the longest periods are – Steffi Graf (377 weeks), Martina Navratilova (332), Serena Williams (319), Martina Hingis (209), and Monica Seles (178).

However, it won’t be easy for Swiatek to maintain her position at the top. She is on a short break and has withdrawn from the Korea Open. Citing tiredness as the reason, the Pole has chosen to rest and recover for her future endeavors. How long do you think can Swiatek continue her reign at the top of the world rankings?