Iga Swiatek joins tennis royalty with historic four-year streak
When it comes to consistency at the top of women’s tennis, the list of true elites is short. And now, Iga Swiatek has carved her name even deeper into that rarefied space.
With the WTA’s 2025 year-end rankings officially out, the 24-year-old Pole has wrapped up her fourth consecutive season inside the Top 2. That puts her in the kind of company that doesn’t need a last name.
Just ask Serena.
Swiatek, who ended 2022 and 2023 as the world No. 1 before finishing 2024 and now 2025 at No. 2, becomes only the second woman this century to string together four straight Top 2 finishes.
The only other to do it was Serena Williams, who went on a similar tear from 2013 to 2016. For all the chaos and churn that often defines the WTA rankings, Swiatek has been a rock.
Her 2025 campaign was a slow burn that sparked into brilliance mid-year.
She stormed to her sixth Grand Slam title at Wimbledon, maintaining a pristine 6-0 record in major finals. Add to that titles in Cincinnati and Seoul, and her career trophy count has now climbed to 25. Not bad for a player many wrote off as having a “down” year.
Still, it wasn’t all smooth sailing.
At the WTA Finals in Riyadh, Swiatek once again found herself on the wrong side of the group-stage math—a cruel echo of 2024, where despite a 2-1 record, she was eliminated due to set differential.
This time, a tough loss to Coco Gauff sealed her fate. She was disappointed but candid about the emotional toll. “Honestly, I did everything I could today, so no regrets,” Swiatek said after her final match. “I felt like I was really in the zone. I had a positive mindset.”
Then, with a wry smile, she offered a touch of self-deprecating humor. “Maybe I won too much in these last years. Karma, I guess.”
That blend of fierce competitiveness and levity is part of what makes Swiatek so compelling and so enduring. Her ability to bounce back, to show grace in moments of frustration, reveals a champion’s mindset that goes beyond just lifting trophies.
From a historical standpoint, Swiatek has now joined an exclusive seven-member club in WTA history. Players who have finished four or more straight seasons in the Top 2.
That list includes icons like Chris Evert (12 straight from 1975-86), Martina Navratilova (8 from 1982-89), Steffi Graf (10 from 1987-96), and Lindsay Davenport (4 from 1998-2001). Add Martina Hingis, Serena Williams, and now Swiatek to that lineage.
Since the turn of the millennium, few players have come close to that kind of run. Ashleigh Barty and Aryna Sabalenka each managed three consecutive Top 2 finishes, while others like Justine Henin, Caroline Wozniacki, and Simona Halep hit two-year marks.
