Iga Swiatek did not have a great start to the season as she had an early exit in the Australian Open. However, she showed why she is the best player in the WTA at the moment in the tournaments that followed. The Polish player would go on to demolish all opponents in her sights at the Indian Wells Masters. Her performance would end the stint of many and leave Martina Navratilova surprised.
As the WTA legend watched the four-time grand slam champion beat players ruthlessly, she realized that there’s only one way players can overcome her. As per Navratilova, players need to fight their hardest in the first four games of a match. Navratilova revealed her thoughts in a post-match segment of Sky Sports after Swiatek defeated Marta Kostyuk.
Navratilova said, “She’s a great frontrunner. That’s when the players need to stay close to her at the beginning of the match. Once she really gets going, it’s really hard to stop her momentum, and she grows in confidence, and she covers the court so well. She settles down the lines. I think she has added a little topspin to that backhand. I don’t know; I just have a feeling because it seems safer. And that’s one way to make it safer.
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Navratilova continued, “But she’s just putting it all on service right now, and once she gets ahead, watch out. So I would be thinking about only the first four games if I’m playing her. I gotta say it to all or better. Once she gets ahead, good luck.”
As Navratilova believed in Swiatek’s ability to hold a match from the start, she also believed that the Polish player could take over the greatest player of the WTA.
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Iga Swiatek set to take over Serena Williams as per Martina Navratilova
In another Sky Sports segment, Navratilova not only compared Swiatek’s brilliance to Olympic gold medalist tennis player Serena Williams but also praised the WTA star’s abilities. Navratilova stated that while she may not be the fastest player, she is the most complete player, which is evident on particular courts such as Indian Wells.
She further said, “She is a fantastic player and is the best frontrunner we have had in the game since Serena Williams. Also, she can get better. Her serve can improve so watch out.“
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Navratilova adores the Polish star and believes that she can take over the 23-time grand slam champion in the future. The 22-year-old already has four grand slam titles and will certainly gain more in the future. Can she prove Navratilova’s word to be true?