As she puts the finishing touches to her game before kicking off her 2024 campaign in Australia later this month, Iga Swiatek is excited not just about the new season but about the highly anticipated comebacks of Naomi Osaka and Rafael Nadal.
Osaka is scheduled to return from her maternity leave at the Brisbane International in the opening week of January to contest her first tournament since September 2022.
The Japanese four-time grand slam champion, who gave birth to her daughter Shai in July, was awarded a wildcard for Brisbane, where Nadal is also expected to make his first competitive appearance since the 2023 Australian Open in January, having been sidelined with a hip injury that required surgery.
Swiatek, who is currently in Abu Dhabi for the World Tennis League exhibition event, will be keeping an eye on both returnees and is curious to see where their level will be at after their lengthy absences.
“I really like to watch them, so just from a fan perspective I’m really happy that they are coming back and I’m going to be able to see their game,” said Swiatek at Yas Island’s Etihad Arena on Thursday.
“Rafa obviously is a huge inspiration for me, so I just hope he’s going to play nicely.
“Naomi, we may play against each other, so it’s pretty funny but I’m happy that she’s back and she could fulfil her other goals and now come back to playing tennis.
“I’m just curious how they’re going to play, if they’re going to be rusty or not but obviously they are both really experienced so I hope they’re going to go well.”
Step by step
Swiatek looked sharp in the set she won against 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina on Thursday and said she managed to test out some of the things she had been working on with her coach Tomasz Wiktorowski during this pre-season training block.
The Polish world No 1 is coming off yet another stellar campaign in which she added a fourth grand slam to her ever-growing trophy cabinet. Swiatek enters 2024 carrying an 11-match winning streak, having picked up titles in Beijing and at the WTA Finals in Cancun in her last two events of the year.
While she admittedly struggled to deal with the pressure at certain moments and faced stiff competition from Aryna Sabalenka during the season, Swiatek managed to wrestle back the top ranking from the Belarusian to end 2023 on a high.
“I feel like I could actually rest better this year [during offseason]. I worked on many stuff off court last year during pre-season but this time was more peaceful, so I really could focus on practising,” said the 22-year-old Swiatek.
“There wasn’t much for me to do besides tennis so I’m really happy that I was really locked into the work and I feel that gives me a lot of certainty that I did everything I could during pre-season to work on my game and do some technical stuff and just try to implement it.
“I’m not thinking too much about the things that are going to happen in the future. I’m really just focusing on the tournaments in Australia and I’m going to take it step by step this time.”
Iga Swiatek hopes to add Olympic gold to her list of wins in 2024. EPA
‘Olympic medal would be a dream come true’
Swiatek will begin 2024 by teaming up with Hubert Hurkacz and their fellow Poles at the United Cup in Perth.
The nation-vs-nation event will provide Swiatek the chance to play mixed doubles with Hurkacz – who is also her teammate at the WTL this weekend in Abu Dhabi – with the pair likely set to join forces at the Paris 2024 Olympics next summer.
Given her success at the French Open, where she has won three of her four majors, Swiatek will fancy her chances of clinching gold for Poland at the Olympics tennis tournament, which will be hosted at the same Roland Garros clay-court venue in Paris.
“Yes, for sure [it’s a big goal]. We’re going to have some time to think about that before the clay season obviously. But for now, I’m just thinking about Australia and trying not to go too far because the season is long and a lot of things can happen,” said Swiatek, who will likely play singles and mixed doubles in the Paris Games.
“But I’m really happy that I have the opportunity to play some mixed doubles with Hubi and to test it out and practise a little bit before the Olympics because getting a medal there would be a dream come true for sure.”
The Book of Collateral Damage
Sinan Antoon
(Yale University Press)
How to increase your savings
Have a plan for your savings.
Decide on your emergency fund target and once that's achieved, assign your savings to another financial goal such as saving for a house or investing for retirement.
Decide on a financial goal that is important to you and put your savings to work for you.
It's important to have a purpose for your savings as it helps to keep you motivated to continue while also reducing the temptation to spend your savings.
- Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
Asia Cup Qualifier
Final
UAE v Hong Kong
TV:
Live on OSN Cricket HD. Coverage starts at 5.30am
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
If you go
Flying
Despite the extreme distance, flying to Fairbanks is relatively simple, requiring just one transfer in Seattle, which can be reached directly from Dubai with Emirates for Dh6,800 return.
Touring
Gondwana Ecotours’ seven-day Polar Bear Adventure starts in Fairbanks in central Alaska before visiting Kaktovik and Utqiarvik on the North Slope. Polar bear viewing is highly likely in Kaktovik, with up to five two-hour boat tours included. Prices start from Dh11,500 per person, with all local flights, meals and accommodation included; gondwanaecotours.com
Key products and UAE prices
iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available. Price: Dh4,229
iPhone XS Max
It is expected to be a grander version of the iPhone X with a 6.5-inch screen; an inch bigger than the screen of the iPhone 8 Plus. Price: Dh4,649
iPhone XR
A low-cost version of the iPhone X with a 6.1-inch screen, it is expected to attract mass attention. According to industry experts, it is likely to have aluminium edges instead of stainless steel. Price: Dh3,179
Apple Watch Series 4
More comprehensive health device with edge-to-edge displays that are more than 30 per cent bigger than displays on current models.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
