© Getty Pictures Sport – Clive Brunskill
Andrea Petkovic suggests Iga Swiatek is evidently feeling challenged by Aryna Sabalenka and another prime gamers and that’s the reason why the Pole is attempting one thing totally different along with her serve and looking for methods to additional enhance her sport.
Swiatek, who shall be turning 23 in Could, loved a really dominant season in 2022 as she completed that season as a three-time Grand Slam champion and likewise had a run of 37 consecutive wins that 12 months.
However when the 2023 season began, Swiatek misplaced within the Australian Open round-of-16 whereas Sabalenka turned a Grand Slam champion. Whereas Swiatek was capable of win one Grand Slam final 12 months and regain the world No. 1 spot after shedding it to Sabalenka on the US Open, she wasn’t as practically dominant as she was in 2022.
Going into the 2024 season, Swiatek determined to make some modifications and that led to the Pole attempting one thing totally different along with her service. On the Australian Open, the change did not actually repay as Swiatek shockingly misplaced to Linda Noskova within the third spherical. When Swiatek returned to motion in the course of the Center East swing, she gained a WTA 1000 title in Doha earlier than making the Dubai semifinal the next week – the place she surprisingly misplaced to Anna Kalinskaya.
Reflecting on that, 2014 French Open semifinalist Petkovic sees a little bit of the Jannik Sinner scenario there. When Sinner began to battle to make a giant Grand Slam breakthrough, he began experimenting along with his serve. After a while, Sinner’s serve totally clicked and for the previous couple of months the 22-year-old Italian has been a distinct participant and he additionally not too long ago turned a Grand Slam champion on the Australian Open.
Petkovic hopes Swiatek’s serve clicks to the fullest like Sinner’s
Addressing a serve or some other shot change, Petkovic highlighted that going out of your pure movement is rarely a straightforward factor. However Petkovic additionally underlined that it’s a threat that may convey plenty of good if finished efficiently.
“After I see someone tinkering with whichever shot it’s of their arsenal, it makes me actually nervous as a result of I do know the sensation you’ve once you abruptly don’t really feel a shot and also you don’t know the place it’s going to go at instances,” she stated on Tennis Channel’s “inside-In” podcast.
“For, Iga being No. 1 on this planet for some time now however exchanging that place with Aryna Sabalenka, it’s actually nice to see and interesting to observe as a result of she is aware of she feels the opposite gamers respiratory down her neck, particularly Aryna Sabalenka, so she is aware of she has to maintain evolving and growing her sport.
“The one factor that she doesn’t have in comparison with Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina is that massive serve that may get her plenty of free factors.
“An instance on the ATP Tour, Jannik Sinner did the identical factor. It value him the French Open – he misplaced within the first or second spherical in 5 units – and everybody was like ‘oh what is going on to Jannik’ however they have been tinkering along with his serve.
“They [Sinner’s team] have been attempting the factor the place he doesn’t transfer his proper leg up. Then they went again to that and abruptly it clicked collectively and now he appears to be unbeatable.
“For the previous few months, he has been the participant on the ATP Tour to beat. Hopefully, the identical factor will occur for Iga too.
“However it’s dangerous and it’s at all times the query ‘do you go forward, do you attempt to do it?’ or do you keep on with what you’ve, particularly when you’ve already gained main tournaments.”
Swiatek on altering her serve
When the 2024 season began and Swiatek kicked off her 12 months on the United Cup, one of many first issues that stood out within the Pole’s sport was her modified service movement. When requested about it, Swiatek confirmed she certainly made sure modifications to her serve and revealed that she was truly planning n doing so because the 2022 US Open.
“We have been planning to try this for a very long time now. It is laborious to search out the correct time, particularly after we form of wished to do it final 12 months, however I gained out of the blue the US Open,” Swiatek stated at first of the 2024 season.
“We have been like, Why would we do it after profitable a Grand Slam? The timing was fairly difficult. We additionally tried a bit bit to alter one thing after Wimbledon final 12 months.”
Additionally earlier this 12 months, Swiatek insisted that she wasn’t truly making an enormous change to her serve however was simply altering her motion.
“This time I knew I used to be form of prepared to only keep it up and never come again to my older motion, my earlier motion. I imply, it isn’t a giant change. Like, I am solely altering my swing right here. Up there the whole lot is similar,” Swiatek stated.
Up to now this season, Swiatek is 14-2. Subsequent week, Swiatek will return to motion at a WTA 1000 match in Indian Wells, the place she shall be hoping to win her second title in 2024 but in addition her second title within the desert.
