FRENCH Open champion Iga Swiatek said securing a spot in the top 10 of the world rankings was evidence her game had become more consistent after the Pole struggled with some "frustrating" results following her maiden Grand Slam triumph last year.
Swiatek, who turns 20 at the end of the month, demolished former world number one Karolina Pliskova 6-0 6-0 on Sunday in Rome to win her first WTA 1000 title and climbed six spots to number nine in the world on Monday.
"It is pretty crazy and I'm really proud of myself that I'm actually starting to be more consistent, because that was my goal from the beginning," Swiatek told reporters.
"Actually, I feel right now that I am doing huge progress in that matter."
Swiatek went from being a largely unknown teenager to acquiring celebrity status in October when she became Poland's first Grand Slam singles champion and the youngest woman to win the title since Monica Seles in 1992.
Following her Roland Garros win she skipped the rest of the 2020 season, and the Adelaide International had been her only title this year before Sunday.
She lost in the fourth round of the 2021 Australian Open and also made early exits at the WTA 1000 events in Miami and Madrid.
"It was actually a bit frustrating after French Open, because sometimes you can't see the result of your work," said Swiatek, who last week called herself a "perfectionist".
"Obviously winning a Grand Slam is great, but after that comes rankings, and this year it was different.
"So I'm really proud that I'm going to have in my resume that I'm top 10, because I always wanted that. I also want to be consistent. So right now our goal is to keep me in that place and go further."
Reuters
Mon May 17 2021
Poland's Iga Swiatek celebrates with the trophy and her team after winning the final against Czech Republic's Karolina Pliskova, WTA Premier 5 - Italian Open - Foro Italico, Rome, Italy - May 16, 2021. REUTERSpic
'No one will win a trade war,' China says after Trump tariff threat
Donald Trump says he would impose the tariffs until China stops the flow of illegal drugs, particularly fentanyl, into the United States.
What has caused Pakistan's deadly clashes between police and supporters of Imran Khan?
Topping the demands of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party is the release of all its leaders, including Khan, who has been jailed on a series of corruption charges since August 2023.
One woman or girl killed every 10 minutes by intimate partner or family member - UN
The report highlights that "60 per cent of all female homicides" are committed by "people closely related to them".
Sweden urges Chinese ship to return for undersea cable investigation
Two subsea cables, one linking Finland and Germany and the other connecting Sweden to Lithuania, were damaged in less than 24 hours.
[COLUMNIST] Building more highways won’t solve traffic congestion - reducing demand will
It is clear that adding more lanes and highways doesn't work, because we are still attempting the same approach to solve the issue.
Hyundai to invest RM2.16 bil in Malaysia through strategic partnership with INOKOM
This investment includes efforts to upgrade INOKOM's existing assembly capacity to meet Hyundai's automotive needs.
‘C4Cinta’ sets record as highest-grossing Malaysian Tamil film
'C4Cinta', directed by young filmmaker Karthik Shamalan, has set a new benchmark in Malaysian Tamil cinema.
Man charged with mother's murder, storing body in freezer
The court denied bail and scheduled case mention on Feb 7 for the submission of forensic, autopsy, and chemist reports.
Abolition of examination in schools to reduce pressure on pupils - Fadhlina
The classroom assessment approach offers a much more interesting learning ecosystem, says Fadhlina Sidek.
Google, Meta urge Australia to delay bill on social media ban for children
Google and Meta says the government should wait for the results of an age-verification trial before going ahead.
Judge tosses Trump 2020 election case after prosecutors' request
It represents a big legal victory for Donald Trump, who won the Nov. 5 US election and is set to return to office on Jan. 20.
DHL plane crash in Lithuania leaves authorities searching for answers
Rescue services said the plane hit the ground, split into pieces and slid over 100 metres (110 yards).
National squad to hold friendly matches for 2025 Indoor Hockey World Cup
The warm-up matches will involve matches against better ranked teams in the world, namely Austria (first) and Belgium (third).
G7 seeks unity on ICC arrest warrant for Netanyahu
The United States, part of the G7, has rejected the ICC decision, with President Joe Biden describing it as outrageous.
Francissca Peter remembers Tan Sri Ahmad Nawab: A tribute to a musical legend
A legend who has influenced our music for decades, was one of the highlights of my career, says Francissca Peter.
TikTok decision coming soon as Jan. 19 divestment deadline looms
Judges are reviewing TikTok's challenge to a law requiring ByteDance to sell its US assets by Jan. 19 or face a ban.
Lebanese sources: Biden, Macron set to announce Israel-Hezbollah truce
In Washington, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said, "We're close" but "nothing is done until everything is done".
PM meets chaebol tycoon to attract more FDI to Malaysia
Chaebols are prominent figures from South Korea's family-owned conglomerates.
Govt won't allow non-citizen vehicles to enjoy RON95 subsidy - Economy Ministry
The implementation of the RON95 subsidy in 2025 is expected to provide savings of RM3.6 billion to government expenditure.
Ringgit opens lower as greenback gains ground
Dr Mohd Afzanizam says the market responded positively to news of hedge fund manager Scott Bessent heading the US Treasury Department.