Iga Swiatek is coming off her third title prior to now 4 years on the French Open’s crimson clay.
Last September, she received a championship on the U.S. Open’s arduous courts for the primary time. That’s additionally the floor used on the Australian Open, the place she’s been to the semifinals.
And what about on grass courts? Wimbledon, which begins Monday, has been her least profitable Grand Slam match up to now. Swiatek is simply 5-3 on the All England Club – evaluate that to her 28-2 mark at Roland Garros, for instance – and people three losses got here within the first spherical, third spherical and fourth spherical.
Swiatek, who has been ranked No. 1 since April 2022, supplied a little bit of perception on how she views her recreation on grass when she was requested in Paris this month about whether or not reaching the latter phases of a serious remains to be an enormous deal to her.
“Well, it depends, because … if I would (make) a quarterfinal of Wimbledon, I would be, like, over the moon,” Swiatek replied, “and I wouldn’t believe that I’m in that place.”
So though different gamers may concur with the form of evaluation Claire Liu, an American ranked within the Top 100, supplied after going through Swiatek in Paris this 12 months – “I’d say she’s good on pretty much any surface” — the topic of taking part in on the slick inexperienced stuff tends to carry sure sentiments to thoughts for the 22-year-old from Poland.
Two phrases she repeats when discussing grass: “uncomfortable” and “challenge.”
It’s such a distinction from how she feels on clay.
And but, let’s not overlook: Swiatek was the 2018 junior champion at Wimbledon, so it’s not as if it’s a totally overseas floor or setting.
Still, she insists, “On grass, sometimes it’s tougher and I still have to learn a lot.”
“It just feels like you’re going to go on court and not play the way you ‘should,‘” she mentioned, making air quotes together with her fingers, “or the way you ‘could,’ you know? So this thing is adding more pressure.”
All of what she does so nicely on clay or arduous courts seemingly ought to translate simply tremendous to grass.
That huge forehand of hers. The method she will be able to defend so nicely. And, above all, the best way Swiatek can suppose her method round a match, discover an opponent’s weaknesses and counter her personal with tweaks right here and there.
There are, to make certain, different ladies who’ve already proven they’ll do nicely on grass and at Wimbledon. Players reminiscent of 2022 champion Elena Rybakina, 2022 runner-up Ons Jabeur, two-time winner Petra Kvitova, 2021 semifinalist Aryna Sabalenka.
But there usually are not quite a lot of of us who’re going to doubt that Swiatek will determine issues out sooner or later.
“It’s the power,” mentioned Agnieszka Radwanska, the 2012 runner-up to Serena Williams on the All England Club and the one Polish lady to achieve the singles ultimate there prior to now 85 years.
“There are other players hitting the ball very strong,” Radwanska mentioned, earlier than explaining that Swiatek’s heavy topspin offers her photographs extra of an opportunity of touchdown in with consistency, versus the flat strokes that create extra misses “to the fence.”
“That’s the difference,” Radwanska mentioned. “A big difference.”
After watching her beat Karolina Muchova in three units within the ultimate at Roland Garros, French Open match director Amelie Mauresmo mentioned she thinks Swiatek has what it takes to thrive on the All England Club.
“She has to make maybe one or two adjustments, maybe technically or in her game,” mentioned Mauresmo, a former No. 1-ranked participant who received Wimbledon and the Australian Open in 2006, “but I don’t see why, with her consistency, with her physical abilities and, of course, mentally – how she fights and how she gives a lot of trouble to the other girls – she wouldn’t be able to have a breakthrough there.”
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Howard Fendrich has been the AP’s tennis author since 2002.
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