Iga Swiatek: "If I feel good physically and mentally, I can win anywhere"
At only 19 years old,Iga Swiatek is already one of the best tennis players in the world - and given her strength on all surfaces, the Polish woman sees no reason why this situation should change in the near future.
by Nikolaus Fink
last edit: Mar 05, 2021, 03:08 pm
That Iga Swiatek can play brilliant tennis on clay, she showed the entire tennis world at the latest when she triumphed in the French Open last year. But the Polish woman has also demonstrated her enormous potential on hard courts in the recent past, in Adelaide she recently even won her first title on this surface.
What is missing is probably the most treacherous of all surfaces, lawns. On the green, Swiatek was not yet able to present her skills at the highest WTA level due to the corona-related Wimbledon cancellation in the previous year, but the victory in the junior women in 2018 at the tender age of 19 should initially be sufficient as a reference.
Biggest need to catch up from lawns
"I don't think the surface has a big impact. If I feel good physically and mentally, I can win anywhere. The junior women event at Wimbledon also showed that," Swiatek told the WTA as confidently as usual . The world number 15 feels on sand. she is still the most comfortable, but she can also play very well on hard courts and grass.
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"I'm kind of happy that I can adjust to the ground and unpack my best tennis anywhere," said Swiatek, who sees the greatest need to catch up on grass: "I don't feel really self-confident on grass yet. That's what I'll get into on this one and maybe work next year too. "
Swiatek wants to remain unpredictable
It already seems clear that Swiatek will play a decisive role in shaping women's tennis in the years to come. Like the four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka, the Pole impresses with her power tennis from the baseline, and the 19-year-old can also mix very well if necessary.
"I play a lot with my intuition. We try to implement more tactics and I try to orient myself to these tactics," said Swiatek, referring to her approach to the game. But she doesn't want to change her approach to matches entirely: "In fact, my intention is to be unpredictable - even for myself."