If musical taste can be a reflection of one's personality, then perhaps a similar correlation can be applied to Iga Swiatek and her tennis style.
High-octane and powerful, with the ability to whip the crowd into a frenzy – little wonder, then, that the world No 1 is a big fan of rock and roll. "I did change [my playlist] a little bit, but it's still rock," Swiatek said on Monday. "It's still Red Hot Chili Peppers, AC/DC, Led Zeppelin." Swiatek, 21, arrived in Dubai this week after a heavy-metal display in Doha, crashing her way to the title for the loss of just five games in three matches.
In those three matches, she secured a 6-0 set in each. Given the incomparable standards she set last season – eight titles, two Grand Slams, miles clear at the top of the standings – this year started a little out of tune; a one-sided defeat to Jessica Pegula at the United Cup, preceding a fourth-round exit at the Australian Open, albeit to eventual finalist and Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina.
Yet, the manner of victory last week at the Qatar Open suggests Swiatek is very much back on song as the Pole prepares to begin her Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships campaign. "I really used the time after the Australian Open to reset mentally and focus on working on my technique," Swiatek said. "I learned a lesson from my last match in Australia; that I have to be there, energetically, on court and run a little bit more, give more.