Iga Swiatek reveals what is in her famous notebook

Iga Swiatek rules women's tennis currently. Maybe she does not yet have the well-rounded game to be compared to other all-time greats, such as Serena Williams, but Swiatek is only 22 years old. She has time. She might not have won Wimbledon, but she has another decade or so to show she can.

One reason for her success is her elite-level planning. She seemingly does not let any small detail go unnoticed, whether that is her own game or what her opponents do. She knows how to attack and react based on an opponent's tendencies. Swiatek does not just play tennis at a high level, she thinks tennis at a high level as well.

The WTA No. 1 is well-known for keeping a notebook with her and she is constantly scribbling...something. Is she simply bored and drawing caricatures of the crowd or whomever she is playing and then hoping to sell those on eBay later on for a little extra cash? No, that would be silly (unless, of course, Swiatek can earn a lot of money doing so).

What does Iga Swiatek keep writing in her notebook?

During a recent conversation with Prakash Amritraj on the Tennis Channel, Swiatek was asked about her journal and what she wrote in it. The Pole gave a quick jokingly flippant response that what she wrote was a "secret" before expanding further on how her notes helped her maintain focus.

Swiatek said, "I just write my tactics there and also some keywords that I want to remember when I sometimes struggle. Not to overthink anything but to have these keywords and to focus on them, so it depends. Mostly, it's tactics."

The notes seem to work for her. She has currently been ranked as the WTA No. 1 for a combined total of 102 weeks, the ninth-most ever. No current player has more while Caroline Wozniacki has spent 71 total weeks atop the rankings, but Wozniacki is no threat to reclaim No. 1 at this point. Potentially Aryna Sabalenka is but Sabalenka has only been ranked No. 1 for a total of eight weeks during her career.

Swiatek also has four Grand Slam victories and her record in WTA finals is a ridiculously good 20-4. If a player is going to defeat Swiatek, they better hope they do not face her later in a tournament. She has also won her last seven finals.

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