By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday June 28, 2023
During today’s ESPN press conference to promote the network’s coverage of Wimbledon, legend Chris Evert was asked a simple question: is Iga Swiatek more vulnerable on grass than on other surfaces?
“100%, yes,” Evert replied, adding: “I think her record reflects that."
That being said, Evert still believes that Swiatek is in it with a chance to win it when it comes to this year’s Championships, which begin in full on Monday July 3rd.
“I'm nitpicking here because she's No. 1 in the world and she's great, and I think she can win Wimbledon, don't get me wrong,” Evert said, “but there's some little nuances in her game that might hurt her a little bit on the grass court that don't affect her as much, that help her actually, on the other surfaces.”
The nuances: footwork and the forehand
Evert elaborated on the details, saying that it is simply more difficult for Swiatek to exploit her advantages in the departments of footwork and forehand on the slippery, lower-bouncing grass surface.
“She has such great court coverage in the sense of she can slide, her legs are very crucial, the court coverage is very crucial in her game,” Evert said. “In order for her to really get set for the ball, she has to know how to move and she has to be very comfortable and her footing has to be solid. Footing is not necessarily solid on the grass.”
Evert adds that it is harder for Swiatek to connect with the forehand at her waist-high sweet spot. The 18-time Grand Slam champion says that playing with an extreme western forehand grip makes it tougher to handle low-bouncing balls on the grass.
“I think that and the fact that she can't really at this point feel super confident on the grass. I think she feels confident. She's No. 1 in the world, the best player in the world, but this surface may take away a little bit of her strength, which is her moving because of the sliding,” Evert said.
The Serve an Issue as Well
Evert says that Swiatek’s serve is not necessarily tailor made for the grass game as well, particularly when compared to her key rivals, Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina.
“I think if you're going to win Wimbledon, you've got to have a big serve, you've got to win free points off that serve,” she said. "The players have been attacking her second serve a little bit. She doesn't have that big Sabalenka, Rybakina first serve.”
(Editor's note: Swiatek is ranked third on tour in percentage of service games won in 2023, and tenth in first-serve points won).
Rybakina In a Tough Spot as Well
But Swiatek may benefit from the fact that some of her rivals aren’t exactly clicking on all cylinders heading into Wimbledon. Case in point: Rybakina lost the only match she played on grass and pulled out of this week’s event in Eastbourne due to a lingering illness. Sabalenka hasn't caught fire on the surface yet, either - she's 1-1 in two matches.
“I think any time there's an injury this close to Wimbledon, it gives anybody pause,” Evert said of Rybakina. “You definitely have to be 100 percent physically to play seven matches and to do things with your body that you're not accustomed to doing versus a hard court or a clay court. You have to be adaptable, flexible, you have to be able to move on some slick courts. It all kind of screams you better be careful with your body and you better have that good balance.
Evert also noted that mounting a successful title defense at a Grand Slam is a tough task for any player, of any caliber.
“I also feel like one other thing she has going against her, it's always tough to defend your title,” she said of the 24-year-old World No.3. “I just feel like she's shown a little vulnerability this year. She's got the perfect game for grass when everything is working, but everything has to be working. She played a great, great match when she won the tournament, but at the same time I don't know if she's at that top form right now.”