Despite Acknowledging Iga Swiatek’s Exploits, Tennis Legend Martina Navratilova Points Out Major Room for Improvements Ahead of Big 2024 Season

The 22-year-old Polish tennis player, Iga Swiatek was by far the best in women’s tennis in 2022. She had an epic 37-match unbeaten run, which led her to six consecutive titles. This year, she won two majors but was dethroned from the top WTA singles ranking after her early exit from the US Open.

However, the four-time major singles champion regained the top spot after winning the title at the WTA Finals earlier this month in Cancun. Now that the season has ended, it’s time for her to analyze her performance and prepare for a better run next year. Let’s see what Martina Navratilova says to the current world No. 1.

Martina Navratilova, the 67-year-old legend and 18-time major singles titleholder, recently offered some advice for the Polish international. She highlighted the little technical tweaks Iga Swiatek needed to improve in 2024. What are those?

Martina Navratilova praises Iga Swiatek for her performance but says there is always room for improvement

One of the Greatest Of All Time in the racket sport heaped praise on the No. 1 for her remarkable comeback after the devastating loss in the US Open earlier this year. She now hopes Swiatek will take a good vacation and come out firing next year. The former tennis player advised her to work on getting to the net, particularly that first volley- the transition volley. She feels it is the most challenging shot in the game.

She then added: “I think that’s where she can improve the most. Iga still has a tendency to run back to the baseline when she really should be going forward. And if she gets that going? Watch out. She can still get a few more mph on her serve, too. The groundstrokes are solid as a rock. And the drop shot — I think she had something like two drop shots all year. When she adds that and uses it at the right time — because, with her topspin, she really pushes people back behind the baseline — she’ll be even more deadly.”

Iga Swiatek is the first Polish player to win a major singles. She has now ended the year as No. 1 for the second time in a row. Can she add more to the tally next year? Well, there is a concern for the current world No. 1 in women’s singles by the WTA ahead of the 2024 season.

READ MORE: $500,000 Reality Helps WTA Make History as More Than 100 Players Prosper

Swiatek looks concerned with the rigorous schedule for the 2024 season

During the season-ending tournament in Cancun, she raised concerns about the changes in the schedule for the next year. According to the new schedule, the total number of WTA 1000 has increased to 10. Of the 10, seven will be held for two weeks. Four new WTA 500 events will also be held next year. Several players have criticized this “intense” scheduling for a calendar year. Iga Swiatek has been quite vocal about this recently.

She also criticized the WTA for not involving the players in decision-making. Yet again, the importance of having open communication between players and the WTA has been highlighted. Can Swiatek overcome all these hurdles in 2024 and make it to the top spot for the third time in a row? Share your opinions in the comment box.

Watch This Story: Exploring Dominic Thiem, the Person Like Never Before