Rafael Nadal and Iga Swiatek emerged as the defining figures of 2022 tennis, with both Grand Slam victors being named ITF World Champions. Nadal's recognition comes after a standout year where he secured the Australian Open and French Open titles. This achievement solidified his position as the all-time leader in men's Grand Slam singles wins with 22 trophies. His success extended beyond the majors, as he also took home titles at the Mexican Open in February and the Melbourne Summer Set to kick off his season.
Rafael Nadal and Iga Swiatek are the massive stars of 2022 tennis as the Grand Slam winners have been named the ITF World Champions of the year. Former world no.1 Nadal has been crowned for his incredible 2022 season, winning the Australian Open and French Open to become the outright leader for most Grand Slam singles titles (22) won by a male player. Nadal also won two more titles this season, the Melbourne Summer Set at the start of the year and the Mexican Open in late February.
The 36-year-old Spaniard maintained a near-perfect record in the majors this year, with his only 'loss' being a withdrawal from the Wimbledon semi-finals before facing Nick Kyrgios, and a fourth-round exit at the US Open. He wrapped up the year with a total of 39 wins and 8 losses.
Nadal shared his joy at receiving the ITF World Champion honor for the fifth time. He remarked that when he first won the award back in 2008, it seemed impossible that he would still be performing at such a high standard over a decade later. The record-holding 22-time major winner credited his success to his team and global fanbase, stating he is already eager to begin the 2023 campaign.
With this latest win, Nadal now shares third place with Roger Federer for the most ITF World Champion titles. He trails only Pete Sampras, who has six, and Novak Djokovic, who leads the pack with eight.
On the women's side, Iga Swiatek completely dominated the WTA Tour, ascending to the world No. 1 spot in March and capturing both the US and French Open titles. In doing so, she became the first Polish woman to ever receive this honor. The 21-year-old powerhouse claimed eight titles overall and put together a stunning 37-match winning streak—the most dominant run in the WTA in a quarter-century.
Swiatek ended 2022 with a formidable 67-9 record. She described the year as a pivotal moment in her career, noting that such a prestigious award highlights her growth as a player. After thanking the ITF, her coaching staff, and her supporters, she emphasized that the award belongs to everyone who shared in her on-court adventures. In other categories, the Czech pair Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova were named women's doubles champions after a sweeping year including the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and US Open. Meanwhile, Joe Salisbury of Great Britain and Rajeev Ram of the US took the top honors for men's doubles.
Czech duo Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova won the ITF World Champions award in the women’s doubles after winning the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and US Open. Great Britain’s Joe Salisbury and American Rajeev Ram were named ITF World Champions in men’s doubles.