Iga Swiatek complains of fever and possible food poisoning ahead of Wimbledon

World No. 1 Iga Swiatek recently complained of a fever and possible food poisoning ahead of the 2023 Wimbledon Championships, prompting her to withdraw from the ongoing Bad Homburg Open.

Swiatek, the 2023 French Open champion, was upbeat this week about adapting to playing on grass, historically her least successful surface. She was also on a 10-match winning streak after beating Anna Blinkova in the Bad Homburg quarterfinals on Thursday (June 29).

However, before her semi-final match against Lucia Bronzetti, the Pole took to social media to announce that she will have to withdraw from the tournament due to a fever and possible food poisoning. She also expressed her hope that she will recover quickly and thanked her fans for their support throughout.

"I'm so sorry but I have to pull out of my match today," Iga Swiatek wrote. "I had a restless night because of some fever and possible food poisoning. I'm not able to perform today and I need to take care of myself. I hope I'll be fine soon. Your support in Bad Homburg was amazing, thank you."

Italian sensation Lucia Bronzetti will now wait for a new opponent as the tune-up event for Wimbledon, which begins on Monday, continues without Iga Swiatek's participation.

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"Iga Swiatek can win Wimbledon multiple times" - Mats Wilander

Iga Swiatek pictured with her French Open trophy.

Mats Wilander recently gave his opinion on Iga Swiatek's chances at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships. He believes that, while the Pole may not have much success on grass as compared to clay and hard courts, she has the potential to win multiple Wimbledon titles.

"She's going to learn how to play better on it," Wilander said in an interview with Eurosport. "Is she ever going to be a better grass court player than a clay court player? No. Is she going to be a better grass court player than a hard court player? Most probably not. That doesn't mean she can't win the tournament."

"So, I think for her, the dream might not be there where ‘I might win six or seven Wimbledons’, but she knows that the dream is alive. ‘I can win Wimbledon. I know how to play on a grass court," he added.

Wilander added that Iga Swiatek has most likely reached the point where she realizes and accepts that she will not be comfortable playing on grass and that she learnt to adjust her game on the surface.

"I think Iga is most probably past that feeling where ‘I hope and I wish that I'm going to be a great grass court player, that I feel comfortable playing on this surface," Wilander stated. "And I think she's already found out that, no, she's not going to feel comfortable playing on a grass court."

"No one really does unless you hit aces and hit winners because you're slipping and sliding. So Iga is a threat. She can win Wimbledon multiple times," he added.