Can Swiatek make it to Wimbledon? Colleague Clay Queen Evert Weighs In

Posted by Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Tuesday June 25, 2024

As Wimbledon approaches Iga Swiatek will look to extend his Grand Slam reign on the hallowed turf of the All England Club. The World No.1, now a five-time major champion, will have his hands full, though.

With a game that seems to be built on red clay, Swiatek now has to start the Grand Slam tour without competing on grass under his belt, while he is three weeks removed from the taxing clay that saw him play events in Stuttgart, Madrid. , Rome and Roland-Garros.

Add to that the fact that the Pole has never made it past the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, and you can see why the task ahead is so difficult.

“He played in many tournaments. I know he talked about how tired he was,” 18-year-old major leaguer Chris Evert said on a conference call to promote ESPN’s coverage of the tournament on Tuesday.

Seven-time Roland-Garros champion Evert, who has won Wimbledon three times in her stable career, knows better than any woman the dangers of playing Wimbledon after being taxed in Paris.

“There is depression when you win the French Open, when you win the big one,” he said. “There is a real decline. There is aging in the body. He is tired.”

🇫🇷 Thanks Paris. You are my favorite place to play, smile and wear cute clothes once in a while. 🫶🏼 @rolandgarros pic.twitter.com/uVWxdAbdb4

— Iga Światek (@iga_swiatek) June 9, 2024

Adding complexity to this year’s equation is that Swiatek and many others will return to the clay this summer to prepare for the Paris Olympic Games. Perhaps there is a risk that some players – including Swiatek – may not be as fully committed to grass-roots success as they might have been in other, busier seasons.

“In his mind, he’s probably thinking about the Olympics,” Evert said. “I wonder where his head is right now at Wimbledon.”

Even before the Olympics, Wimbledon will be a challenge for Swiatek because on grass he gives up one of the competitive advantages he enjoys on his favorite clay.

Evert believes that grass is a challenge in many ways for Swiatek.

“It’s definitely the biggest challenge of all the majors [for her] because of many things,” he said. “His fun is also high on the shoulder where he hits the winners. Right now the grass courts are bouncing a bit. He must hit the ball between his ankle and waist. With that western grip, it’s really hard to get under the ball and stop it.

“He doesn’t win many free points with his performance, that will hurt him too. The beauty of his game was the way he skated in the mud, and the way he returned to the point, returning to the field very well. That will be difficult to do on grass as well.”

Evert believes the court will have more confidence to beat Swiatek, who owns a 9-4 lifetime record at Wimbledon, compared to 35-2 lifetime on Parisian clay, on grass.

“I think the grass is the same size as him,” he said. “Some players, like Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina, Coco Gauff, will feel like she doesn’t have a lot of confidence, she has never done better than the quarterfinals.”

Also, there’s a certain confidence that comes with being a five-time major champion, and Swiatek made significant improvements to his grass-court game in 2023, a season that saw him snap a career-high seven wins in seven matches. before falling to Elina Svitolina in the Wimbledon quarterfinals.

Just because Evert is aware of the challenges Swiatek will face this year on grass, it doesn’t mean the American veteran can’t see Swiatek lift the Venus Rosewater on Saturday, July 12.

“There is no one mentally stronger than him,” Evert said of Swiatek. “He has a great return to work. I think he can win Wimbledon. I think he can. People counting on him this year are crazy.”

A pair @rolandgarros champions practice at SW19 🤩#Wimbledon | @iga_swiatek | @carlosalcaraz pic.twitter.com/8P1TQ3Ozck

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) June 24, 2024

A change of strategy?

Speaking on the same ESPN conference call, Patrick McEnroe said his belief that Swiatek’s unwillingness to adjust against the big hitters led to his downfall. He thinks he should take a page from Novak Djokovic’s playbook and use his world-class movement and athleticism to wear down his attackers.

“When he’s aggressive and playing, he’s unbeatable,” McEnroe said. “When you can beat someone, it’s almost as if you want to beat them even more. This is where he gets into trouble.

“I think he should watch Novak Djokovic, for example, on the grass. Djokovic can play offensively when he needs to and when he wants to. He can also sit back and play a slower defensive game, using his speed.

“If he actually stepped back and played more tennis, used his speed and his trickery, he could win matches and win majors like Wimbledon or the Australian Open by doing that.”