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Patrick McEnroe, brother of legendary tennis player John McEnroe, feels Polish sensation Iga Swiatek is not among the favorites at the upcoming Wimbledon Championships.
The World No. 1 recently captured her third French Open crown in Paris, outclassing Karolina Muchova in a thrilling three-set match in the final. She extended her lead at the top of the WTA rankings and is now more than 900 points clear of World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka.
However, despite her recent accomplishments, Patrick McEnroe firmly stated that Iga Swiatek is far from being a contender for the Wimbledon title in England due to her limited familiarity and expertise on the grass surface.
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"Iga Swiatek hasn't played that well yet at Wimbledon, but I do suspect with her athleticsm she can take the ball early, but can she cut the ball off well enough on grass? That reamains to be seen. She is nowhere near the favourite that she was in Paris. In fact not even the favourite," Patrick McEnroe said in his podcast The Hiding Court.
Swiatek succumbed to a third-round loss at the Wimbledon Championships last year, failing to see off a tricky challenge from French veteran Alize Cornet.
With only 15 main tour matches on grass under her belt, Swiatek is still in the process of honing her skills on the fast and unpredictable surface.
Patrick McEnroe further analyzed the women's draw and emphasized that defending champion Elena Rybakina and reigning Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka will be the top two favorites at Wimbledon.
"Rybakina will certainly enter wimbledon as probably the favourite I'd say, Sabalenka of course has played well in England, losing in the finals against Barty a couple of years ago. she'll also be dangerous. But I think you have to say rybakina is the favorite and sabalenka the second favourite," Patrick McEnroe continued.
The American broadcaster also included 2023 French Open runner-up Karolia Muchova in the argument and stated that she could pose a threat to the top players at Wimbledon.
Patrick praised the Czech player's impressive comeback and resilience in bouncing back strongly after enduring injury setbacks.
"Muchova is gotta be condidered one of the favorites if she can bounce back and recover. You saw the tears and emotions from her during the ceremony, which is great to see, you can see how much it meant to her. She's come back from injury and she's had a terrific tournament in Paris," McEnroe added.
"She moved up 27 spots, shes currently 16th in the world so that puts her in a pretty good spot at Wimbledon to make a little bit of a run. Hopefully she can avoid one of the big three in the round of 16," he conluded.
"In 10 years, Iga Swiatek will hold the record for the most Grand Slam titles" - Former coach Piotr Sierzputowski
Former coach Piotr Sierzputowski believes that Iga Swiatek is poised for continued success in the coming decade, predicting that she will surpass Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina in terms of Grand Slam titles.
After beginning their partnership in 2016, Swiatek and Sierzputowski enjoyed a fruitful collaboration until their separation in 2021. Under Sierzputowski's guidance, the World No. 1 claimed her first Grand Slam title at the 2020 Roland Garros.
In a recent Sport PL interview following Swiatek's victory at the 2023 French Open, Sierzputowski highlighted the Pole's impressive start to her Grand Slam career, surpassing her contemporaries Sabalenka and Rybakina, who have each secured only one major title.
The Polish coach emphasized Iga Swiatek's youth as a key advantage, suggesting that she has ample time to further develop her skills and establish herself as a dominant force in the world of tennis.
"Iga Swiatek has the best start, she has four titles, and they have one each. In addition, she is younger - Sabalenka is born in 1998, Rybakina in 1999, and Iga in 2001. I believe that in 10 years, Iga will still hold the record for the most Grand Slam titles, even if she just at four right now," Piotr Sierzputowski stated confidently.
