Picture Credit: Twitter
Top-seeded tennis star Iga Siwatek has been honoured with a majestic mural in her hometown Raszyn. The 23-year-old was in an incredible form throughout the season as she notched up eight titles and 67 wins, lifting US Open trophy followed by a comprehensive win at the San Diego Open.
After beating Alize Cornet in the third round of the Wimbledon Championship, Iga Swiatek surpassed Venus Williams's 35-match-winning streak to become the women's tennis player with the highest match-winning streak.
The initiative to feature the Polish player on the wall of Cyprian Godebski primary school building was taken by KS Raszyn and the Project Raszyn Association. Local artist Dominik Kowalczyk painted the tennis star's mural which was unveiled by the locals of the Pole's hometown.
"We didn't know how to repay Iga for the glory she has brought to our hometown, as the club's board came up with the idea to honour our star in this way," Marcin Cwyl, President of KS Raszyn said. Dorota Betko of Project Raszyn also remarked that the location of the three-time Grand Slam winner's mural would significantly impact the younger generation from her hometown and inspire them to follow in the footsteps of their very own champion.
"We were very pleased with this location. It is a place where children and teenagers learn every day. There are sports facilities here that they use, so we hope that. Courtesy of this mural, young kids in the town will learn a lot and take a lot of inspiration from our great champion," said Dorota Betko from the Projekt Raszyn Association.
Talking about the 21-year-old, she started her historic season as the world number 9, but made rapid progress in her rankings after featuring in the semi-finals of the Australian Open. She has been unstoppable after that as she clinched the WTA 1000 title at the Qatar Open. She continued her top form as she collected hat-trick of WTA 1000s, winning the Sunshine Double in Indian Wells and Miami.
Due to former World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty's retirement, Iga Swiatek was automatically granted the top spot. The 21-year-old bettered her winning streak further with victories at the Stuttgart Open, the Italian Open, and the French Open and ended the 2022 season with the No. 1 ranking.