Lindsay Davenport has rushed to praise Iga Swiatek for her performances after reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon.
Heading into this year’s event, there was little expectation on the shoulders of the 23-year-old who was enduring arguably her toughest patch of form in recent memory.
Still going deep at events, her inability to reach finals and claim titles has been in stark contrast to the start of her career. It has now been over 12 months since her last trophy.
But that does not seem to be detracting from her current performances, with Iga Swiatek finally looking comfortable at Wimbledon after so many years of failing to do so.
Lindsay Davenport praises Iga Swiatek’s Wimbledon performances
Speaking on the Tennis Channel Live podcast, naturally the pundits were all effusive in their praise for Swiatek despite the manner in which she mauled their compatriot.
Davenport led the charge, noting: ‘Yeah, I wonder if maybe she feels a little pressure is now off her shoulders.
‘She looked very burdened that entire clay season. That is normally the best time of the year for her. She wasn’t able to win any of the big tournaments she’s accustomed to winning, Rome, Madrid, and obviously at Roland Garros.
‘I wonder if she feels, oddly just a little bit more free that that season is behind her. She struggled during that part of the year. Maybe she felt coming into the grass, I’ve got to go for it more. I’ve got to be a little bit more aggressive. The pressure’s not on my shoulders on this surface. I’ve never performed to my best out here.
‘I’ve been really impressed with how she’s managed this entire grass court season. She’s been a little bit more aggressive. She’s moved a little closer to the baseline, and she seems to have realised, “Hey, I got to go for my shots out here.”’
Jim Courier then added: ‘I think I think you’re right. I think that there is a freedom for her because the expectations on her is so much different on grass than it is at Roland Garros, where she is expected to maintain her dominance and think four times track to however many she’s gonna win there.
‘So, there should be a little bit more freedom for her to let it fly. And really, the rest of the season, I think there’s real options for her to play with a little more carefreeness, which would which would go a long way for her.
‘She seems like she’s been carrying a lot of stress. Yeah, for the last year or so. It’d be really nice to see her free up.’
Her relaxed state has been evident to see in her post-match interviews, with Swiatek admitting she’s been doing something at Wimbledon she’s not sure if she’s supposed to earlier this week.
Iga Swiatek’s confidence on grass is building
As someone who has perhaps downplayed her credentials on grass in the past, this Wimbledon run should offer the Polish tennis star nothing but confidence.
After all, Swiatek is breezing through the draw, with her latest win over the big-hitting Collins her most impressive.
She dispatched the American with minimal fuss, showing great variety in her shots whilst also matching her shot for shot.
And, with how the tournament has been blown wide open as so many seeds have fallen, there’s a great chance for her to enjoy a career-best deep run at the All-England Club this year.
Who knows? Perhaps by the time she faces someone like Aryna Sabalenka in the final, she will have so much momentum and confidence that Swiatek could upset all the odds, end her title drought, and claim a first triumph at Wimbledon to mimic her junior success back in 2018.
