Before Zverev’s injury on court that (luckily) gave Nadal the opportunity to fight for his twenty second Grand Slam, the discussion between Purav Raja and Somdev Devvarman on Sony TV centered around the scheduling of women’s matches for the night session or the lack of them. As Amelie Mauresmo, the former World No.1 and the current Tournament Director of the French Open, struggled to find the right word to describe (without sounding insulting or demeaning) the emotion that captures the attention of viewers, the focus squarely shifted to the women tennis players currently on the WTA tour.  Both of them listed the names of players and in the same breath said how none of them had the game or the weapons to hurt Iga Swiatek’s game which was at a totally different level to the rest of the field. That was the first time I came across the name of Iga Swiatek uttered with the kind of respect that was reserved for multiple Grand Slam winners, though she had won only one (Roland Garros 2020) at that time.

And as I watched the final between her and Coco Gauff, I understood the reason for such high praise from the two veterans. Coco Gauff had been on song through the tournament, brushing aside opponents, her game infused with a confidence that said that her rightful place was the winner’s podium. The first set of the final left Coco dazed, with a score line of 6-1 and the clock showing that a mere 35 minutes were needed for her opponent to get to that result. Coco seemed to steady herself in the second set as she got to a 2-0 lead. It was the third game (I think), Coco serving at 30-0 up. She sent down a wide serve, to Iga’s backhand and before Coco could straighten from the service motion, the return had screamed past down the line, out of reach, probably even out of sight. That was the moment I truly understood the impact of Purav’s repeated words of Iga’s game being on a different level.

Most of the already familiar names of women’s tennis are currently not in the picture, so to say. Ashleigh Barty has retired from tennis to pursue golfing glory, Serena Williams has been set aside by destiny’s repeated and cruel denial of her attempts at another Grand Slam and a place in the history books (as if she is already not on there!), Naomi Osaka not being able to give her best due to injuries and maybe even by a little detour to find who she is other than a tennis player, Emma Raducanu who burst on the scene as an unseeded US Grand Slam champion of the last year has been troubled by injury and the past champions of Petra Kvitova, Simona Halep, Victoria Azarenka have become just that – past champions.

At 21 years of age, Iga Swiatek has time on her side, provided fate is kind to her in giving her an injury-free career. She seems to have now taken on the services of a sports psychologist in helping her to deal with her emotions both on and off the field. She says that she has put in a lot of hard work as has her team and she should be able to take the rewards of that hard work in the years to come.

The world has seen and will continue to see a lot of women tennis players and Grand Slam champions, but Iga Swiatek might just prove to be a little different from the rest of them. Not because of her next-level game, not because of her potential to win many more Grand Slams but because of her ability to know, realize and understand that there is a world outside Tennis and that this world is much more important than the world of WTA and its tour. The ribbon she has been wearing on her cap that marks the colours of the Ukraine flag and the minutes-long standing ovation she got when she expressed her support and hope for Ukraine in her winner’s speech is proof of that understanding and the appreciation that fans and viewers around the world have for that action.

Women’s tennis, and tennis on the whole needs people like Iga to inject some much-needed life into it. As much as her game has blown through this year’s French Open like a hurricane, Iga Swiatek is a breath of fresh air to tennis fans around the world.

After watching her produce bullet-speed shots on the slow surface of Roland Garros’ clay, I can’t wait to see what she will let rip on the green grass of Wimbledon. I’m glad I tuned in to watch you, Iga. Thrilled to make your acquaintance. Looking forward to knowing you better!