“It scares me for everybody else on tour”: Tennis presenter remarks on Iga Swiatek going from hunted to hunter as World No.2
ATPFriday, 20 October 2023 at 20:00
Tennis
commentator Blair Henley remarked that Iga Swiatek without the pressure of
being the world No. 1 is a concern for the rest of the WTA Tour.
The
4-times Grand Slam champion recently lost her position at the top of the
rankings after 75 weeks, with Aryna Sabalenka taking over the No. 1 spot when
Swiatek was unable to defend her 2022 title and after Sabalenka reached the
final at Flushing Meadows.
Swiatek
subsequently mentioned that it can be positive to relieve herself of the
pressure, given that she is currently the player chasing Sabalenka, and coming
from a slightly lower position to compete. Tennis expert Blair Henley expressed
the opinion that she may even improve further from this position:
“It
scares me for everybody else [on tour] to be honest when Iga’s like ‘Well let’s
see what else I can improve now that I’m not necessarily the hunted one, the
No. 1, now I can do a little bit of hunting. Maybe change my outlook when I’m
working in the court a little bit’,” Henley said.
“She hit
zero unforced errors in the match. It was interesting that many people saw her
en route to that title using some different tools. One of them being the fact
that if she wanted to take her foot off the gas slightly and be more of a
backboard, she has the capability to do that.”
"Iga
Swiatek has the capability to come to the net more," he said.
"Her
volleys maybe aren’t one of the strongest, haven’t been the strongest part of
her game, there’s room for improvement there and we saw that… the more you come
in to the net, the better those things are going to get," Henley added.
At the
moment, Swiatek is just over 600 points behind Sabalenka and still has a chance
to finish the year as the world No. 1. Both she and the Belarusian have only
the WTA Finals left on their calendars, although the Polish player would need a
perfect campaign and hope for Sabalenka to be eliminated in the Round Robin
stage. It's a challenging scenario for Swiatek, but she still keeps her possibilities
open.
Cristhián AvilaTennis Journalist
Cristhián Ávila is a tennis journalist based in Santiago, Chile, and has been part of the TennisUpToDate team since early 2023. He covers the ATP and WTA Tours as well as all four Grand Slams, producing breaking news, match reports, analysis, and regular liveblogs from major tournaments.
His reporting combines statistical analysis with clear explanation, helping readers understand tactical developments, player form, and broader storylines across the tour. Working fluently in both Spanish and English, Cristhián collaborates with an international editorial team and contributes to comprehensive global coverage. As part of his work, he has conducted interviews and media interactions with leading figures in the sport, including Caroline Wozniacki and John McEnroe.
In his journalism, Cristhián places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. His coverage is grounded in research, context, and direct engagement with professional tennis.
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