In a recent interview with LTA, Iga Swiatek shared her vision of the perfect grass court player. Interestingly, she didn’t include Serena Williams in her list, simply because Swiatek believes Serena excels in every aspect of the game.
“Serena is the best in all regards, so… uhh EVERYTHING!,” Swiatek exclaimed.
With Serena’s all-encompassing greatness acknowledged, Swiatek moved on to craft her dream player using a blend of attributes from various tennis legends, including some of her formidable contendors. She chose Coco Gauff for the best backhand and Elena Rybakina for the most powerful serve.
For the remaining attributes—touch, speed, mentality, and forehand—Swiatek faced a bit of a puzzle, as each player presented to her, is a champion in their own right. She selected Carlos Alcaraz for his sublime first touch, Rafael Nadal for his lightning speed, and Maria Sharapova for her unyielding mental toughness.
For the best forehand, Swiatek playfully chose herself, “Well, it all makes sense. I am happy.”
All in all, her final list consisted of some of the greatest players of all time and Swiatek’s imaginative creation sparked a lively discussion among tennis fans. Most of them though, seemed to be American or huge Serena Williams fans, as they lauded Iga Swiatek for giving her the ultimate compliment in that video out of all other players.
Fans are loving Iga Swiatek’s recent praise for Serena Williams and why wouldn’t they! pic.twitter.com/6BapZtxMPF
— Wide World of Tennis (@tennisfan_dkr) July 3, 2024
Iga who already has 5 Grand Slam titles to her name, 4 being on the clay courts of Roland Garros, hopes to win this year’s Wimbledon to add to her wins on all three courts Grand Slams are played in, i.e. clay, outdoors hard and grass.
However, Swiatek has a tough draw ahead of her and will have to bring her A-Game. She will be facing Petra Martic in the second round and could later on face the likes of 2018 champion Angelique Kerber and Jelena Ostapenko in the rounds to follow.
No matter the result at Wimbledon 2024, Iga Swiatek is being looked at as Serena Williams’ successor amongst the current generation of players. This is despite that the Polish star has been able to make an identity of her own.
Iga Swiatek: Nearly the Successor of Serena Williams
Despite rivalries with the likes of sister Venus Williams, Justin Henin, Ana Ivanovic, Jelena Jankovic and so on, Serena Williams was the name which every opponent feared, no matter the surface or the venue or the tournament. Iga Swiatek is carrying a similar reputation with her, although the only jewel missing from her impressive resume is a Grand Slam victory on grass.
Serena Williams was exceptional on every surface, having had to work hard to improve herself on clay. However, the fact that she could remain on top for a good part of two decades, is impressive. That level of consistency is something Iga Swiatek is showing too, at a young age of 23.
Interestingly, by the age of 23, Serena Williams had won 6 Grand Slams. So if Swiatek wins Wimbledon 2024, it would be the 6th of her career as well. It would be a remarkable co-incidence.
This could also make Swiatek fill the void left by Serena’s departure from the sport. Despite of not being in the favorites to win this tournament, her win-loss streak is commendable and she hopes to keep the number of wins up.
Her triumph on the grass courts of Wimbledon would symbolize her complete domination, much like Serena did in her prime. Can Iga Swiatek conquer this final frontier? With her skill, determination, and strategic brilliance, Swiatek stands on the brink of history, ready to etch her name alongside the legends of the game.
