Radwanska talks of pressure to maintain position in top 10

Competition in the tennis circuit has grown stronger, and thus, according to women's World No 6 Agnieszka Radwanska, maintaining a position in the top 10 list in the women’s rankings is harder than breaking into it.

Radwanska said the defining moment of her professional career was being able to remain in top 10 for several years now.

"I am almost 26. I was 17 when I turned pro. Time is flying quickly. I am just very, very glad that I can be in top 10 and staying there," she said.

"Stay there. Sometimes, two, three good tournaments and you are there. Then the pressure is to be there...I think to stay there is, of course, much more harder," Radwanska, who is playing for Pune Marathas in the ongoing Champions Tennis League (CTL), said in Hyderabad on Tuesday.

Radwanska became the first Polish player to have reached the singles final in a Grand Slam when she made it to the title round of the Wimbledon Championships in 2012.

"I think like every player who is playing professional tennis for so many years, of course the dream is to win a Grand Slam and be number one," said Radwanska.

She said World No 1 Serena Williams and other top players like Maria Sharapova and Simona Halep are formidable opponents and it requires her to be in excellent form to take on them.

Radwanska felt that women's tennis is changing with many players vying for the top spots unlike in the men's category, where a few players dominate at the top level.

"I think in women's tennis, everything changes pretty quickly. Every week, the rank list is changing. Every Grand Slam someone else is winning. Every tournament is a different story...so many surprises. I think it is always a good challenge," she said.

Image: Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland

Photograph: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images