Iga Swiatek: Mats Wilander says world No. 1 is 'vulnerable' ahead of US Open - ‘There's a moment of concern’
Updated 23/08/2024 at 08:39 GMT+1
Mats Wilander believes world No. 1 Iga Swiatek is one of the favourites to win the upcoming US Open, but admits her recent form is cause for "concern". Wilander says Swiatek is "vulnerable" heading into the final Grand Slam of the year following a disappointing run of results. Wilander also said Aryna Sabalenka is a "huge favourite" for the title, while touching on Coco Gauff's recent struggles.
'Sabalenka has become a huge favourite' - Wilander sees shift in women's grand slam picture
Video credit: TNT Sports
Mats Wilander says Iga Swiatek is “vulnerable” heading into next week’s US Open and is “still searching” for her best form following her victory at Roland-Garros earlier this year.
The world No. 1 showcased her dominance on clay by claiming her fourth French Open title in June, but has since struggled on hard courts while also being upset by Qinwen Zheng in the final at the Paris Olympics on her favourite surface.
Wilander says Swiatek, the five-time Grand Slam champion who has spent more than two years at the top of the world rankings, is showing vulnerability after several disappointing results – the most recent coming at the Cincinnati Open semi-finals in a heavy defeat to eventual winner Aryna Sabalenka.
“We actually really did think that she was going to have a really good chance to win Wimbledon,” Wilander told Eurosport. “Of course, she was going to the Olympics on her favourite surface, on her favourite stadium, and she didn't win. And now she didn't win in Cincinnati, which, again, is not her favourite surface. It plays very fast.
“So I think she's showing that she's vulnerable not only on hard courts and grass, but even on clay courts at the Olympics. There's a moment of concern. I think she's still searching.”
Wilander believes Swiatek needs to start emulating her idol Rafael Nadal and continue playing her same style of clay-court tennis on her less favoured surfaces.
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“To me she needs to start thinking about, ‘how do I win tennis matches on clay and try to play like that on other surfaces, and realising I am never going to win as much on hard court and grass than I have at Roland Garros’.
“Just look at her big idol, Rafael Nadal. He did exactly that. He won a lot of tournaments trying to play clay-court tennis, most of the matches. And she needs to get back to playing like she does at Roland-Garros. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work, but that's where she's comfortable. The style of tennis is what she needs to get back to playing.”
Wilander still believes the US Open title will be won by either Swiatek or Sabalenka.
But it will take something special from Swiatek and the rest of the field to stop “huge favourite” Sabalenka, who comes into the final Grand Slam of the year in dominant form.
“[Sabalenka] is becoming the big favourite in most tournaments, to be honest, even when it's on clay,” Wilander said. “I still put her at 50-50 with Iga Swiatek, but I think that there are more players that can beat Sabalenka on a clay court than there are that can beat Swiatek.
“Now, when you go the other way on hard courts, there are very, very few players that Sabalenka can lose to. There are very, very few players on a hard court that believe they can beat Sabalenka. There are a few players that believe that Sabalenka can beat herself, but with every win she has in tournaments, with every win she has against Swiatek, every win she has against the best players in the world, the less that is true.
“Sabalenka knows that she can win matches and tournaments when she's not at her best, which then I think makes her play her best tennis more often. So a huge favourite.
“And the interesting thing, it's a big change because in the women's game we haven't had a big favourite in quite a few years, especially on hard courts. Yes at Roland Garros, but otherwise not. And Sabalenka has become the huge favourite to win the US Open and maybe that's the first time for her as well, that everybody is expecting her to win.”
Wilander ‘not worried’ about Gauff’s form
Despite her recent slump in form, Wilander says he is not worried about Coco Gauff as she looks to defend her US Open title.
But Wilander admits Gauff, who claimed her first major victory at Flushing Meadows in front of a home crowd last year, has not progressed as much as he thought.
“I think technically you would have to say that she has stagnated slightly," he said. "Her serve didn't improve as much as we thought. Her forehand didn't improve as much as we thought.
"But I think her fighting spirit is there and the US Open is going to fire her up. And can you imagine the American fans, how they are going to support her, mainly because she is not playing well. I think they're going to be so much on her side that it's really going to help her.”
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Wilander added: “I'm not sure what's wrong with Gauff, except I think what is most probably different is that she's so young. She's already won the US Open. She's the American hope. Obviously, in many ways she’s sort of become a little bit of the face of the WTA tour.
“Yes, we have Sabalenka, Swiatek and of course [Elena] Rybakina. But Gauff is younger. She plays a different style of tennis and I think people really, really enjoy that. And for her to answer the call of being a Grand Slam champion, doing it at home, that gives her so much confidence when she gets to play in a Slam, and she knows how to do that.
“So I'm not worried. I think it's another situation where, ‘hey, listen, I proved the point to myself and to a lot of critical people out there that I can win a major’. Who cares in the end if you win in Cincinnati or Washington, which she did last year, who really cares because it's all about the major.”
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