Top 5 Best Quotes of 2022, No. 4: Iga Swiatek stays grounded after Sunshine Double

WATCH: Swiatek gave a rousing victory speech after winning the Miami Open over Naomi Osaka.

No. 4: “Well, when I wake up and look in the mirror, I see a mess basically!”

To paraphrase lyrics from an old Jennifer Lopez song: She's real, what you get is what you see...

At just 20 years old, Iga Swiatek was in the midst of a hard-court surge that culminated with a rare Sunshine Double, becoming only the fourth woman to win the BNP Paribas Open and Miami Open in the same season. In the wake of Ashleigh Barty’s shock retirement, the women’s game had already found its new champion—even if she didn’t feel any different.

“I'm still the same person, the same Iga,” she insisted after thumping Naomi Osaka in the Miami Open final. “I want to stay that way. I mean, I had my biggest idols basically stayed the same way and they are the same people. I don't want the success to change me like in a negative way.

“Obviously, it's going to give me a lot of confidence and like satisfaction. But in terms of me as a person, I'm still going to be the same, you know.”

Asked how that confidence translated into an early morning glow-up, Swiatek joked, “Well, when I wake up and look in the mirror, I see a mess basically!”

Swiatek vowed not to let fame change her, and the world No. 1 largely kept that promise throughout a 2022 season that only got more dominant once she moved over to her beloved clay. She continued her winning streak through title victories in Rome and at Roland Garros, and wore the No. 1 mantle well, speaking out about supporting Ukraine and opining about tour issues ranging from ball speeds to mental health and abuse.

“I feel like I could play that kind of tennis last year on my practices and on my trainings back home, but I always wanted to, you know, convert that into my game on matches,” she explained of her on-court improvements. “Basically last season it was pretty tough to do that for me, but so this season it clicked. It's not like these shots are surprising, because I know what I can do.”

Swiatek went on to win a third major title at the US Open and ended the year atop the WTA rankings, more aware of her power and with every intention to wield it even more efficiently in 2023.

At least after she finishes her morning routine.