'Not surprised' - Mats Wilander hails 'complete player' Iga Swiatek as No. 1 in waiting after shock Ash Barty retirement

Updated 25/03/2022 at 14:00 GMT

Iga Swiatek faces world No. 42 Viktorija Golubic in her opening match at the Miami Open on Friday evening and can replace the retiring Ashleigh Barty as the world No. 1 if she can secure just a single win at the tournament. Eurosport expert Mats Wilander has said that the Pole has everything in her game to be a very fine world No. 1 with a "complete game" and the right mentality.

'She is complete as a player' - Wilander 'not surprised' at Swiatek as No. 1 in waiting

Mats Wilander has said he is "not surprised" that "complete player" Iga Swiatek is set to take over as the world No. 1 after Ashleigh Barty's shock retirement.

Barty was tipped to dominate for the next decade after ending a 44-year wait for a home winner at the Australian Open, with Eurosport expert Wilander believing she could win 10 more Grand Slams after taking women’s tennis to the “next level”.

However, the three-time major winner announced on Wednesday she was leaving the sport to “chase other dreams”.

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Current world No. 2 Swiatek, 20, is in pole position to replace Barty at the WTA summit, with the 2020 French Open champion requiring just a single win at the Miami Open this week to seal her spot at the top.

Swiatek faces world No. 42 Viktorija Golubic in her opening test in Miami on Friday evening, and Wilander has said she has everything in her game to be a distinguished world No. 1.

"She [Swiatek] is ready for that [being world No. 1] because she won Roland-Garros and she won it easily without dropping a single set," Wilander told Eurosport.

"She has done well in the other Grand Slams. She has been preparing herself to be in the spotlight of professional tennis for a long time, and the reason I would say that is that she has been travelling with a psychologist sometimes. She is very close to that part of her tennis, which is part of life, and that is to mentally be ready.

"In your mind, you are available to try and solve problems. It is a problem-solving situation: in tennis, and life is too. You are not going to make the right choices all the time.

"You are not going to solve all the problems, but the more prepared you are for the day that either you reach the success you wanted, which is kind of unexpected, but at least it is unknown, or you don't get the success that you wanted - that is also the unknown.

"I think for Iga Swiatek, she definitely was a future world No. 1, and now it comes, most probably earlier than we had all expected, but she is very complete as a player.

"She was very mature as a player, and she is very willing to explore all the different options to become a better tennis player and to enjoy the sport more. So it is no surprise."

Barty different to 'freaks' like Federer, Serena and Nadal, says Wilander

Barty said during her farewell press conference that “there is no better person” than Swiatek to replace her as world No. 1 after her shock retirement aged 25.

“I’ll be coming off the rankings in the next cycle, which will be after Miami,” said Barty.

“It’s a new start for the tour, which is going to be really exciting for them. They’ve got exceptional players, great depth. It’s going to be really exciting for them.

“I’m not sure of what the possibilities are. I’ve never been one to look at it much. I know that if it is Iga, there is no better person. She’s an incredible person, a great tennis player. The way that she’s brought this fresh, fearless energy onto the court has been incredible.

“I loved testing myself against her. I loved playing her. I loved practising with her and spending time with her team. She’s a brilliant person, and was one of the first to message me, which is really nice.

“I think she thoroughly deserves it. I hope that she can take it and still be her, do it her own way, and really chase what she’s after in her career and her dreams.”