"She needs to go back to the drawing board": Mats Wilander gives honest reaction to Iga Swiatek's shock Australian Open upset
WTAMonday, 22 January 2024 at 11:00
Former world number Mats Wilander believes that Poland’s Iga
Swiatek needs a new game plan to bounce back after having a disappointing
outing at the Australian Open.
The women’s world number one was knocked out in the third
round of the first Grand Slam of the year after losing to the Czech Republic’s Linda
Noskova with a score of 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. It was the second consecutive major where
Swiatek had a difficult outing as she lost in the fourth round of the US Open
in 2023 to Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko with a score of 3-6, 6-3, 6-1,
Wilander, who won seven Grand Slam titles in his illustrious
career, was recently quoted in a report where he suggested that the 22-year-old needs to 'go back to the drawing board' if she wants to recover from the recent setback.
“[Linda] Noskova hits the ball really hard and it has become
common knowledge that this is how you have to play against Iga Swiatek on a
hard court,” Wilander said.
“A lot of shots go to Swiatek’s forehand and it’s supposed
to be one of the best forehands in the women’s game. For Iga, I think what she
should do and she’s a big fan of Rafael Nadal, is she has a very extreme grip
on her forehand and because of that she has more topspin than any other woman,
and maybe she has to go to that a little bit more.
“It is very difficult with that grip to try and out-hit
these other women as they are such clean ball strikers these days. “It seems
like she played the match today how she feels she has to play all these matches
to beat Rybakina, to beat Sabalenka, to beat these big hitters.
“And maybe she needs to go back to the drawing board and go
okay, this isn’t working, maybe I need to loop the ball a little bit…”
Azeem Siddiqui is a seasoned sports journalist and data analyst with a strong background in both digital media and live sports production.
He began his journalism career working with partners of The New York Times and has since contributed to several leading international sports publications, including Fox Sports Asia, Calciomercato, and GiveMeSport. Since 2023, Azeem has been part of the TennisUpToDate team, where he has played a key role in sustaining the platform’s growth and ensuring tennis fans receive timely and reliable coverage of the sport’s biggest stories.
In addition to his editorial work, Azeem has extensive experience as a data analyst in live sports broadcasting—particularly in cricket—where he combines analytical precision with creative storytelling. He has collaborated with multiple production companies and cricket boards worldwide, delivering real-time insights and data-driven narratives during live match coverage.
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