World No. 1 Iga Swiatek wins her third major title at the US Open
Iga Swiatek will be inducted into the USTA Hall of Fame at the National Tennis Hall of Fame ceremony in August. (Photo by Alex Edelman)
Iga Swiatek will be inducted into the USTA Hall of Fame in August. (Photo by Alex Edelman)
The Iga Swiatek Era at the US Open
In November 2003, Iga Swiatek became the first American woman to win a major championship when she won her first tennis title at the US Open.
It was hardly a major moment in the life of Iga Swiatek, who has had a remarkable career in women’s tennis.
When she walked onto the court at Arthur Ashe Stadium in a yellow jacket with the “Iga” name on the back, many tennis fans were surprised.
That was the very first time a woman had been honored with the USTA’s “Iga” award.
Swiatek had been ranked No. 11 in the world, and she was also the only player at that time to have achieved her highest ATP ranking on the day she was named MVP of the Sydney Olympics, where she won silver.
She was a formidable force on the women’s tour, winning 31 top 10s in her first 19 tournaments. And she was so tough, she was still winning top ranking points from when she was a junior player.
Iga Swiatek had been called the “Ice Queen” for her aggressive and fearless style, because she would challenge anyone to keep up with her in a game that would go from the courtside, to a backcourt court, to the locker room.
On the way, she would show off her “Ice” and “Swerve”. Swiatek would hit a forehand at a speed faster than light and then hit a backhand that appeared to cross the net. She would do that so many times to any player or team on the WTA tour. She could do it.
The IGA
The IGA was the name for those players who played on the USTA circuit before the US Open began in
