How has Iga Swiatek turned things around in 2025? Mats Wilander explains and tips his favourite to win US Open
By James Hilsum
Published 21/08/2025 at 16:10 GMT+1
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Mats Wilander reviewed Iga Swiatek's return to prominence after winning Wimbledon and the Masters 1000 title at Cincinnati. Many questions had been asked about Swiatek during her trophyless run, but she is now in ominous form heading into the final Grand Slam of the calendar year, the US Open. The Pole will be one of the favourites at Flushing Meadows when the event gets going,
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Mats Wilander has highlighted some of the reasons behind Iga Swiatek's return to title-winning form after her triumphs at Wimbledon and Cincinnati.
The 24-year-old endured a barren 13-month spell without a WTA Tour title after winning at Roland-Garros last year, losing the world No. 1 ranking to Aryna Sabalenka in the process.
She has since rediscovered her mojo after claiming a sixth Grand Slam title in emphatic fashion, with a double-bagel final victory over Amanda Anisimova in SW19, and warmed up for the US Open in the best possible way after beating Jasmine Paolini in Ohio.
When Wilander was asked if he had noticed anything different about Swiatek’s game, he replied: "I think Iga is more positive when it comes to her appearance on the court.
"I like the way that she played at Wimbledon to begin with. I think that she played a little less aggressively.
"I don't think you have to be super aggressive all the time to win on either the men's tour or the women's tour. I think Iga has found her way again.
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"She's, to me, playing a little bit more on the other surface, the way that she plays on clay. She's using the forehand, and sometimes plays it with a lot of top spin.
"I think she's taken a step back out of the court. Of course, in Cincinnati, where she won, the courts were playing so fast that you have to be super aggressive.
"But I think Iga, there is less of a chance that she's going to lose to a lower ranked player when she has a better attitude.
"I think she understands her game on other surfaces, the way that she understands her own game on a clay court."
Wilander believes that Swiatek arrives at Flushing Meadows as one of the two favourites, along with Aryna Sabalenka.
The world No. 1 was beaten by Madison Keys and Coco Gauff in the finals at Melbourne and Roland-Garros, respectively, before a Wimbledon semi-final defeat to Anisimova.
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Top five shots from Sabalenka's run to Wimbledon semi-finals
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Nevertheless, the Swede explained that Sabalenka is a good bet to consign her recent frustrations to the past and retain her title in New York.
"[Swiatek has] started to play unbelievably well again," he added. "And we know what happens when she plays well. She's not afraid of dominating the women's tour, but you cannot count out Aryna Sabalenka.
"She's had some bad luck in the last two Grand Slam finals that she was in, and in the semi-finals against Amanda Anisimova. So, she's one of the favourites.
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"To me, it's pretty clear that Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek that are the two favourites. They're not afraid of winning. They're both playing well enough. I think it doesn't matter what Sabalenka has done in the last couple of weeks.
"But if they both come healthy to the US Open, I'm expecting the two of them to go through and reach their seeds, which should be in the finals."
There will be plenty of expectations placed on home favourite Coco Gauff, who won her first major in New York in 2023.
But Wilander feels that the reigning French Open champion is not at the same level as Swiatek or Sabalenka.
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Highlights: Gauff wins first French Open title in classic final against Sabalenka
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He concluded: "Well, Coco Gauff is always an interesting situation because, obviously, having won two majors, she knows how to win, beating Aryna Sabalenka in the French Open final, when the conditions were terrible.
"Again, it shows what guts she has, but if Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka play their best tennis, I just don't see how Coco Gauff can keep up with them.
"But then again, are they going to be able to play their best tennis against Gauff because she defends so well? It's actually a compliment to someone like Coco Gauff, that when she plays, she often makes her opponents play worse.
"I think that she has to be careful in the earlier rounds, and the later she survives in the tournament, the more of a threat she becomes."
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