World No.1 Iga Swiatek has pushed back on claims by several WTA stars over the difficulty of competing at this year's Olympic Games, which are set to be held on the clay courts of Roland Garros.
With the Olympics taking place after Wimbledon, players will have to make the transition from the just-concluded clay season to grass, and then back to clay. This is viewed as a difficult and taxing transition by some players of the WTA, leading to top stars like Aryna Sabalenka and Ons Jabeur withdrawing from the international tennis event.
Swiatek doesn't believe the transition is a problem
The Polish star is known for her prowess on clay, making her a favorite to lift Olympic gold. She believes going back to clay after competing on grass should not be a problem, adding it would be more difficult if the scenarios were reversed.
"I think it would be a bigger challenge if there was grass first, clay in the middle, and grass again," argued Swiatek. "Going back to the clay won't be a problem for me. When I come back to it after a whole year, two days are enough and I feel great on clay. This year I already played the Billie Jean King Cup on hard, I went straight to clay in Stuttgart and I was able to play a very good tournament, so going to clay a second time will not be a problem."
Tunisian star Ons Jabeur earlier released a statement saying she could not risk jeopardizing the rest of her season due to the quick change in surface. Therefore, the former Wimbledon runner-up announced her withdrawal from the Olympic Games.
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