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Follow UsIga Swiatek of Poland won her second-round match in the Miami Open 2022. She defeated Viktorija Golubic of Switzerland in straight sets, 6-2, 6-0. She ascended to the top of the WTA Rankings with this victory. After Ash Barty announced his retirement from the game, the 20-year-old has taken over as the new World No. 1.
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"I don't think anything will change"- Iga Swiatek
In a brief post-match ceremony, Swiatek was congratulated by tournament director James Blake and former WTA number one Lindsay Davenport after her victory. "I never really imagined that moment. Because, truth to be told, I was working day-by-day and playing tennis well. But I never had the strong belief that it can actually happen. So it's even more surreal for me," the 20-year-old said.
She also stated that she was not afraid of the situation because it happened after Barty's unexpected retirement. "I loved every moment of it. It doesn't matter for me if there were fireworks. The crowd was really supportive. They were really excited. I'm just soaking everything in because I didn't have any expectations," she added.
"I think it's going to be a little bit different. Maybe the hype is going to be a little bit bigger, but I'm ready for it. And honestly, it's part of the job. From my perspective, I don't think anything will change. Maybe I've got to watch if I'm wearing clean clothes and representing tennis well. So I'm going to be careful with that. But honestly, I'm the same person," the World No.1 concluded.
Read more: Tennis latest news: Ashleigh Barty retires from Tennis at 25
Swiatek is the 28th woman to reach the top of the WTA Rankings and is the youngest player since Caroline Wozniacki in 2010. She is also the first Polish international to attain the top spot, surpassing Agnieszka Radwanska, who was previously ranked second in the world. She's been on a fire this season, winning WTA crowns in Doha and Indian Wells and maintaining a 12-match winning streak, which is a career-high.