Iga Swiatek disputes Navratilova's glowing praise following fine performance: "So not really A+, but a B, I would say"

After a slight scare yesterday, Iga Swiatek returned to Centre Court today and booked her spot in the third round of Wimbledon in what 18-time Grand Slam champion Martina Navratilova described as an A+ performance. Swiatek disagreed with the tennis icon following a 6-1, 6-3 win against Karolina Pliskova.

The reigning Wimbledon champion was still trying to find her feet in the first round against Taylor Townsend. Taken to a third set, she was left in tears following a stressful battle that she just about came on top in. She is under a lot of pressure to defend her title and recoup as many points as possible with her inconsistent form on court proving to be troubling for her.

She showed glimpses of her absolute best against the 2021 finalist and former world number one Pliskova. She was dominant in the first set, sprinting out to a 4-0 lead. Pliskova grabbed one of the breaks back, but the double break advantage was put swiftly back in place by the Pole who claimed the first set in ominous fashion.

The big serving Czech could have been a really dangerous opponent for Swiatek. She is good on grass and has proven so this year with some impressive showings on court. She threatened a comeback after taking a 2-0 lead at the start of the second set, but Swiatek firmly slammed the door shut. She dropped one game for the rest of the match, breaking to love as she got the job done in scintillating fashion.

Navratilova was speaking on the BBC while commentating on the match. She was in awe of the level Swiatek was showcasing on court and offered a very generous grade right at the end.

"If I were her coach, I would like to get more spin into her shots, but she was great today, her returns were amazing, so A+ from me. Today, she really looked like a defending Wimbledon champion."

Swiatek was quick to disagree, being a lot more harsh on herself with a B grade despite dropping just four games all match, showing her high standards and expectations she plants upon herself.

"When legends like that say nice things about you it means a lot and it's why you try to be the best tennis player possible for people to appreciate it, so I'm really happy she's saying that," she commented.

"I don't know if it was an A+, sometimes it was a tricky game, especially with the wind, sometimes the balls were really low and far away from you, especially the last game I felt like I played so many dirty shots, not really controlling that much, but if you keep your margins it goes in. So not really A+, but a B, I would say."

She will hope to continue that fine form against her third round opponent, this coming in the form of Alexandra Eala following her three-set win against Maya Joint earlier today. She becomes the first ever Filipino woman to reach the third round of a Grand Slam tournament as she continues to break new ground and make an impression.

They have played twice before. The first time was at the 2025 Miami Open where Eala introduced herself to the world, dumping out Swiatek in the quarter-finals enroute to that famous semi-final run. Just under a month later, they again went to battle on court together at the Madrid Open. Swiatek this time prevailed in a remarkably tight three-set contest, coming back from a set down to secure victory.

It is the first time they will face off in 2026. Eala will be hoping to conjure up a surprise in front of her adoring fans who follow her wherever she goes, but Swiatek is the reigning champion and is determined to continue going through the gears as she targets a seventh Grand Slam title.