
Although she has been dominant for the bulk of the 2023 season, Iga Swiatek is not considered the favorite to lift the Wimbledon trophy, according to Patrick McEnroe.
The Polish star recently captured her third French Open title last week in Paris, and currently sits more than 900 points clear of World No.2 Aryna Sabalenka. However, McEnroe believes that Swiatek is not a contender for the title at SW19 due to her limited expertise on grass.
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"Iga Swiatek hasn't played that well yet at Wimbledon, but I do suspect with her athleticism she can take the ball early, but can she cut the ball off well enough on grass?" said McEnroe on his The Hiding Court Podcast. "That remains to be seen. She is nowhere near the favorite that she was in Paris. In fact not even the favorite."
The World No.1 fell to Alize Cornet in the third round last year, and only has 15 career tour-level matches on grass under her belt. Her inexperience and the form of other players in the draw led McEnroe to believe reigning champion Elena Rybakina and Arya Sabalenka as tournament favorites.
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"Rybakina will certainly enter Wimbledon as probably the favorite I'd say, Sabalenka of course has played well in England, losing in the finals against Barty a couple of years ago," he added. "She'll also be dangerous. But I think you have to say Rybakina is the favorite and Sabalenka the second favorite,"
Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.
As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.
With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.
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- I, like writer of this wonderful article, also picked Noskova to win this entire thing. I would love it if she and Andreeva are in the final.Rapunzel12-11-2026
- "Priorities", Saba... spend less time in front of cameras, anti-Social Media, selfies and back to Tennis.
mandoist12-11-2026 - Tell this to Andreeva!
mandoist12-11-2026 - Andreeva with 11 games in a row to add to Saba's downward spiral issue !!! Personal feelings aside... Jess Pegula may want to reassess her evaluation of Mirra's abilities.
mandoist12-11-2026 - I predicted whenthe list was finalised that Linda Noskova would win the WTA Finals and her matches against Gauff and Kostyuk prove that. She is the best (underrated) player in the world!Rapunzel11-11-2026
- Either Lena has a chronic internal ailment (i.e., colitis, enteritis, Crohn's, or some type of lower abdomen issue) -- or she is once again dealing with 'Vukovitis'. Mental stress can indeed cause lower body pains. No matter... whatever is truly going on sucks. "Virus" excuse is getting a bit old -- and often -- at this point.
mandoist09-11-2026 - Ironically, Martina became a U.S. Citizen about the same time as the Orange Convicted Felon & Abuser was just beginning on his road to losing all Daddy's Millions!!
mandoist09-11-2026 - "Another fresh start is in the cards." Thanks for the Humor!! I'm guessing this is the minimum one can do to keep all your sponsors hanging-on in perpetuity?
mandoist09-11-2026 - Vukov is doing this to Lena... AGAIN!!!!! WTA's autonomous collective should be dismantled for allowing Vukov to re-emerge from his hand-slapping suspension. Just ask WTA employees how that's been going lately as they witness his continued verbal abuses. Women's Pro Tennis should start over.
mandoist08-11-2026 - Can't help but suspect Vukov is back to his old self again. Thank you, WTA. Perhaps you can give them a "Battling Couple of the Year Award 2026" ??
mandoist08-11-2026









