Swiatek is the most outstanding female tennis player of the 21st century and is destined to reclaim the world number one spot by the end of the year.

Rick Macci, the famed American coach who has trained legendary players such as the Williams sisters and Sharapova, recently offered high praise for Polish star Iga Swiatek. He asserts that Swiatek is not only the ruler of contemporary women's tennis but also the most distinguished female tennis player of the 21st century, forecasting her return to the world number one position by the end of 2025.

In an interview, Macci did not hold back in his admiration for Swiatek, even likening her achievements to the legendary influence of The Beatles: “The records she has broken surpass those of The Beatles. She is the most remarkable player of this century, with her greatest achievement being the 37-match winning streak. In any field, achieving 37 consecutive wins undoubtedly proves you are one of the greatest players in history.”

In 2022, Swiatek set the WTA record for the longest winning streak of the 21st century at 37 matches, surpassing Venus Williams' 35 and Serena Williams' 34. Additionally, she holds six Grand Slam titles and maintained her position as world number one for 75 consecutive weeks from 2022 to 2023, demonstrating her dominance.

Although Swiatek unexpectedly reached the semifinals at the 2025 French Open and has already relinquished her world number one title, Macci believes this is merely a minor episode in her career: “Her previous low ranking and the psychological challenges she faced on her preferred clay surface are just a page in her legendary story. It won't be long before she rewrites the script and begins a new chapter that showcases her greatness.”

Indeed, Swiatek has always performed strongly during the North American hard court season, winning the US Open in 2022 and reaching the quarterfinals in 2024. With less pressure to defend points in the second half of the year, Macci is confident she will soon reclaim the top spot.

Macci has developed many legendary players, including Venus and Serena Williams, Capriati, and Sharapova, but he believes Swiatek will surpass their achievements.Swiatek's37-match winning streak is the longest in WTA history for the 21st century, even exceeding the peak performances of Venus and Serena Williams. She has demonstrated dominance on hard courts, clay, and grass, while many legendary players rely heavily on a single surface.

Macci emphasizes that Swiatek's mental toughness, tactical adaptability, and match-reading skills have reached an extraordinary level, which is key to her rapid rebound after setbacks.

Currently, Swiatek is ranked third in the world, trailing behind Sabalenka and Gauff. However, with the North American and Chinese seasons approaching, she has an excellent opportunity to surpass Gauff: Last year's US Open quarterfinals represent her biggest point defense task for the second half of the year, while her main competitor Gauff has significant points to defend from winning last year's China Open, reaching the Wuhan semifinals, and claiming the year-end championship, putting her under immense pressure. If Swiatek can win the US Open, her world ranking will surpass Gauff, moving her to second place.

Rick Macci's assessment is not exaggerated; the achievements Swiatek has attained before turning 22 have already placed her among legends like Navratilova, Graf, and Serena Williams. Despite the fierce competition in women's tennis, Swiatek's consistency, big-match temperament, and ability to continually improve make her the most likely candidate to dominate the sport for years to come.

As Macci stated, “She will inevitably return to world number one because true greatness is never overshadowed by temporary lows.” The 2025 US Open may very well be the starting point for Swiatek to write a new chapter.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Mei)