By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Saturday July 6, 2024
What must occur for Iga Swiatek to grow to be a Wimbledon champion? After her 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 loss to Yulia Putintseva on Day 6, the Pole says she is aware of what she must do.
“I do know what I want to alter, and I’ll try this,” Swiatek advised reporters on Saturday night time in Wimbledon’s primary press room. “However grass season is over, so it’s not like I want to actually take into consideration this match by way of analyzing for subsequent week as a result of principally it’s going to be completely totally different on clay and arduous court docket.”
Now shouldn’t be the time to dwell over it. Swiatek has the Olympics looming in Paris, an occasion that’s vitally vital to her, and the remainder of the arduous court docket season in North America.
When she does revisit her state of affairs on grass, she must discover a option to do two issues. First, absolutely refresh and recharge her batteries, which is not any small activity given simply how a lot she invests in her clay-court seasons. Swiatek, a winner of 4 of the final six Roland-Garros titles, is usually the final girl off the clay in early June, and that places her at a definite drawback when she steps on the grass.
The fatigue, as they are saying, is actual.
Second, she merely must discover a option to spend extra time on the floor in order that she will be able to develop the consolation that she feels on clay and arduous courts.
Classes discovered 👏🏼 @iga_swiatek
We’ll see you quickly, champ 🫶#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/En0WsMbAdJ
— TENNIS (@Tennis) July 6, 2024
It’s psychological for Swiatek, greater than it’s technical or tactical.
“I really feel like on grass I want somewhat bit extra of that vitality to maintain being affected person and settle for some errors,” she advised the press. “Like mentally, I didn’t actually try this effectively on this event. I must get better higher after clay court docket season, each bodily and mentally.”
It’s not that Swiatek isn’t outfitted or proficient sufficient to win on grass, she simply has to determine easy methods to make the transition and get into that deep focus that characterises her success on the clay.
“For me going from this sort of tennis the place I felt like I’m enjoying the very best tennis in my life to a different floor the place I sort of wrestle somewhat bit extra, it’s not straightforward,” she stated, including: “I misplaced within the third spherical. I felt like I underachieved somewhat bit. However it’s tennis, so you must transfer on. I’ll have many extra probabilities this yr to indicate my sport. I’ll simply deal with that.” Grass continues to be an issue for the five-time main champion, and Wimbledon continues to be a significant hurdle as she makes an attempt to increase her Grand Slam empire. Positive, she’d wish to win the coveted profession Grand Slam – successful all 4 of the majors no less than as soon as – and he or she has loads of time to attain these objectives. She additionally has greater than sufficient expertise. She merely must make investments somewhat extra time ensuring that she’s in the correct head house, and the correct consolation zone, the subsequent time she steps on the grass. It’s the identical problem that King of Clay Rafael Nadal needed to face every time he received Roland-Garros. Grass was not pure to him. The calendar was tight, however he discovered a option to get it achieved at Wimbledon. Iga isn’t Rafa, however she will be able to use the Spaniard for inspiration on the grass, simply as she does on the clay.
Keep in mind that Swiatek is barely 23, and her success on the clay has precipitated her to face some difficult obstacles in the case of enjoying on grass. In time, she’ll possible get it sorted, and grow to be a much more dependable drive on the grass than she is now.
There’s no must panic. She’s a five-time main champion and he or she simply turned 23. If she hasn’t received Wimbledon in 5 years, then we will sound a number of alarm bells. For now, it’s again to Paris and the search for gold.
