Iga Swiatek has been spotted on the Tokyo courts, preparing for the upcoming 2023 Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, Japan.
This WTA 500 tournament is scheduled to take place from September 25 to October 1 and will showcase a lineup of prominent top-10 ranked players. As the world’s second-ranked player, Swiatek will assume the top seed position at the event, marking her return to competitive tennis following her surprising exit at the US Open.
Swiatek entered the New York major as the defending champion but lost to Jelena Ostapenko in the fourth round. She was set to compete at the WTA 1000 Guadalajara Open AKRON in Mexico this week but withdrew in an attempt to maintain a sensible schedule as the season starts heading toward its close.
Iga Swiatek shares video of preparation
The four-time Grand Slam champion took to Instagram to share a clip of herself training in Tokyo. In her caption she referenced the hot weather that she will no doubt be trying to get used to ahead of the tournament, writing “#humidddd.”
Swiatek seems in good spirits in the video, which is accompanied by the song “Move on Up” by Curtis Mayfield, perhaps a subtle nod to her aim of achieving better results after a disappointing run in New York and also of re-claiming the World No. 1 position in the WTA Ranking, which she held for 75 weeks before being usurped by Aryna Sabalenka.
The 22-year-old’s fans expressed their excitement in the comments.
“Iga’s comeback is loading,” wrote one.
“Can’t wait to see what Iga gets new or adjusted in her game!” added another.
“go @iga.swiatek you are the best player ever best of luck in Tokyo,” another commented.
Although she is the top seed, Swiatek will face some tough opponents, with Elena Rybakina, Jessica Pegula, Marketa Vondrousova, Karolina Muchova, Maria Sakkari, Barbora Krejcikova, and Caroline Garcia all also on the entry list for the tournament.
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