From bashful Rafael Nadal fan to the hard rock of Led Zeppelin and Guns N' Roses to the undisputed queen of women's tennis, Iga Swiatek has come a long way.
Having captured a first major at the pandemic-hit and delayed French Open in October 2020, Swiatek added a second at Roland Garros on Saturday.
Immediately, she sensed her responsibilities when she diverged from the standard post-final script where families, coaches and sponsors are thanked to cast a glance eastwards to the suffering in Ukraine. "I wanted to say something to Ukraine, to stay strong, because the war is still there," said Swiatek who has worn a ribbon in the colours of the Ukraine flag on her cap throughout the tournament. "Since I made my speech in Doha (after winning the tournament in February) it had started and I was hoping when I do the next tournament speech the situation will be better but I will still have hope." On court over the last two weeks and throughout the year, Swiatek has been equally forthright.
In March, as she celebrated winning the Indian Wells-Miami double, she took the world number one ranking when Ashleigh Barty announced her shock retirement. "I didn't think it was going to turn out this way," she said of her sudden rise to the top. "I don't know if I deserve it.