Iga Swiatek wins Polish Sportsperson of the Year award

WARSAW -- Tennis world No 1 Iga Swiatek won the award of Poland's Sportsperson of the Year for 2023 on Saturday evening.

The Sportsperson of the Year is considered to be one of the most prestigious sport prizes in Poland.

Swiatek's victory was widely expected as the 22-year-old won six titles in 2023. The Pole defended her crown at Roland Garros and she also took the highest podium in Warsaw (WTA 250), Stuttgart and Doha (WTA 500) and WTA 1000 China Open in Beijing. Then she ended her season in a perfect way by winning the WTA Finals in Cancun, Mexico.

"I regret that I cannot be at the gala, but as you know, I'm at the United Cup tournament. Every vote means a lot to me. It showed me how much support I have from my fans. That reward gives me additional motivation," Swiatek said in a recorded video.

Her father, Tomasz Swiatek, who appeared on the scene to collect the reward, emphasized that "Iga wouldn't be so successful without the hard work of her whole team."

Swiatek was followed by speedway rider Bartosz Zmarzlik in the second place while volleyball player Aleksander Sliwka came third in the vote. FC Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski, who won the La Liga top scorer title in 2023, didn't enter the top ten list, which was seen as a huge surprise in Poland.