Iga Swiatek said Thursday she learned a lot about herself this year and hopes to continue the form which returned her to the world number one ranking in a dramatic end to the season, with the Paris Olympics a key goal for 2024. 

The Pole outlined her plans prior to the Friday start of the 18-nation mixed teams United Cup in Perth and Sydney, ahead of the Australian Open in January.

The 22-year-old and ATP Shanghai Masters champion Hubert Hurkacz headline the Polish team and are top seeds, starting their campaign on Saturday against Brazil.

Swiatek came through heroically under massive pressure last month to dominate Jessica Pegula 6-1, 6-0 and win the WTA Finals in Cancun to regain the top spot she held for much of the past two seasons. 

“Even though my ranking at the end of the year was similar to 2022, this season was totally different,” she said. “Lots of ups and downs and some struggles that we had to deal with. 

“Playing these matches in Cancun with such a baggage on my shoulders in terms of rankings, it gave me a lot of confidence. I learned a lot about myself. I’m going to take that into 2024.” 

Read full story on sport.timesofmalta.com