Sublime Swiatek has taken up mantle of Barty - as Serena departs, it’s the Iga era now

Barty’s time at the summit was a formidable one. She achieved the year-end number one status three times in a row, matching a feat done by Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf and Serena.

Before her retirement, she had won two of the last three Grand Slams and completed 100 consecutive weeks as the world number one – only the fifth player to do that. Her dominance was evident, which is why her retirement came as a shock to the tennis world.

When Barty finally dropped out of the WTA rankings on April 4th 2022, there were only two players in the top 10 who had won a Grand Slam in the last five years. 

There were many fine players, but not one who had found that consistency to make themselves the real star like Barty was. Four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka (24) had dropped down to number 35, while Coco Gauff (18) and Emma Raducanu (19) – despite her US Open triumph in 2021 – were far too young to assert dominance.

Someone needed to put their hand up, and a 20-year-old from Warsaw was set to do just that.

Swiatek became the world number one once Barty was removed from the rankings. The Pole was in the middle of her stunning 37-match winning streak - the longest streak on the WTA tour since 2000 - with victories in Qatar, Miami and Indian Wells. Once deemed as a clay court specialist, this appeared no longer the case.

Swiatek continued her run into Stuttgart and Rome, before she won her second Grand Slam at Roland Garros, the title she had claimed two years prior.

Her streak was eventually snapped by the enigmatic Alize Cornet (32) at Wimbledon, but her stock had already risen and she was well and truly the world's best player. There was a little way to go for her to truly fill the void of Barty, but she was sure on course.

But what goes up, must at some point go down. Now 21, it would be impossible to expect consistency from someone so young.

Her Wimbledon defeat was followed by a loss on clay in the quarter-finals of the Poland Open, and round-of-16 defeats in Canada and Cincinnati just before the US Open. Despiting ridding of the tag that she was solely a clay courter, there were question marks if she was quite ready to win a Grand Slam outside of the clay.

Despite entering Flushing Meadows as the number one seed, she wasn’t seen as the favourite to claim the crown. The eyes weren’t as much on Swiatek, with the swansong of Serena also an added factor.

In a way, she was almost going under the radar. Inexplicably, before the quarter-final stage, she played only one match on Arthur Ashe – against one of the home favourites Sloane Stephens (29).

Swiatek’s performances en route to the final weren’t particularly impressive. She was far from her best. Her usually explosive and consistent forehand wasn’t at its sharpest, similar to in Canada and Cincinnati.

In the round of 16, she was a set and break down to Jule Niemeier (23) before she found some rhythm and claimed a 2-6, 6-4, 6-0 victory.

Her win against in-form Jessica Pegula in the quarter-finals was impressive on paper, but she was broken six times in the match, including five times in the second set. Despite another below-par performance, she came out on top 6-3, 7-6(4).

Rinse and repeat. Her semi-final display was much better against Aryna Sabalenka, but she still went through peaks and troughs. With the score level at one set apiece, Swiatek was 4-2 down in the last set and looking in trouble. However, she reeled off four games in a row to reach her maiden US Open final.

It's fair to say she saved her best for last. It’s better not to peak too early, right?

Against a nervous Ons Jabeur (28), Swiatek showcased just what took her to number one, with her blistering groundstrokes and court coverage on full display as she totally overpowered and outplayed her opponent for a set and a half. She was nailing winners from everywhere.

The Tunisian finally found her footing midway through the second set, but she perhaps gave herself a little too much to do. Swiatek held her nerve to win 6-2, 7-6(5) and become the first woman since Angelique Kerber in 2016 to win multiple majors in a year, as well as the youngest player in the Open Era to win three consecutive majors in straight sets.

In the 11 finals she has played in, she has won 10 of them. There is something quite inevitable about Swiatek. Beating her in a final is one of the toughest tests in tennis.

This win in New York is a statement. Out of all her wins this season, this one probably sits atop as the most impressive. Any doubts about her multi-surface abilities are surely gone

But the scary thing is, she has the champion's ability to get through rounds without playing that well.

“It’s something I didn’t have when I was younger, to actually be able to sometimes – maybe not ‘win ugly’ but – win when you’re not feeling 100%,” Swiatek said after her semi-final victory.

That is some asset to have. Sure, we know she can play well when she is playing her A-game. Very few strike a ball better than her with her heavy topspin, and she seems to reach places on the court that no one else can. But what separates the real greats of the game, no matter what sport, is the ability to ‘win ugly’. An over my dead body type attitude and just being able to play the big points well. Keep in mind that she is only 21.

The fact is that Swiatek hasn’t had the consistent longevity of Barty, but she sure has taken up her mantle as the star in women's tennis and the considerable best player in the world. She does have the same number of Grand Slams as the Aussie by the way.

It is also perhaps quite fitting that she claimed arguably the most impressive win of her career in the tournament where Serena said farewell.

Losing a sporting icon is tough as you need someone to be thrust into the spotlight and grab the attention of the public.

It’s way, way too early to say that Swiatek will have anywhere near the success of Serena. It’s highly unlikely in fact. 23 Grand Slams singles wins and pretty much every other record belongs to her. No one can truly replace her.

Swiatek is the first woman since Serena in 2014 to win seven tournaments though, illustrating the sheer magnitude of her brilliant year.

She is undoubtedly well ahead of her peers. The undisputed number one. She is the one on everyone’s lips and is the woman ready to be a global superstar.

It may be early days, but three Grand Slams on two different surfaces at 21 suggests we may just be entering the era of Iga Swiatek.