A gifted pack of WTA gamers will spend 2023 chasing world No. 1 Iga Swiatek.
No one will catch her says Martina Navratilova.
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Last September, Swiatek stopped Ons Jabeur 6-2, 7-6(5) to make historical past as the primary Polish lady to win the US Open.
The 21-year-old Swiatek collected her third Grand Slam title, together with her second of this season following her Roland Garros closing conquest of American Coco Gauff, solidifying her standing because the clear world No. 1.
Former world No. 1 Navratilova says Swiatek will go wire-to-wire as world No. 1 subsequent season for 2 predominant causes.
“I don’t see anybody knocking her off—because she’s so consistent,” Navratilova informed WTATennis.com’s Greg Garber. “She wins majors—and she’s consistent. Usually, it’s one or the other.
“She’s obtained them each happening on the similar time. I feel to see if she’s making any modifications, including to her sport once more. This previous 12 months, she made extra forays to the web, and it made an enormous distinction.”
Swiatek holds a 6,030-point lead over world No. 2 Ons Jabeur within the rankings.
US Open and Wimbledon finalist Jabeur will proceed her chase of the highest spot in 2023. Jabeur is defending simply 10 rating factors on the first three Grand Slams subsequent 12 months as a result of she didn’t play the 2022 Australian Open, fell within the French Open first spherical and didn’t obtain any rating factors from her Wimbledon finals run because the Tours withdrew all rating factors from The Championships this 12 months in protest of Wimbledon’s ban of Russian and Belarusians.
If Jabeur can keep wholesome, the Tunisian trailblazer believes she will be able to make a run at No. 1.
“Definitely we’ll play each other because she’s No. 1, I’m No. 2. Hopefully it will be great matches between us,” Jabeur stated after the US Open. “But, yeah, she improved a lot I think her forehand and her serve. She’s always been solid in the backhand. That’s kind of tough.
“Physically she’s in all places. She can carry any ball. It’s at all times robust to play somebody that places yet one more shot in. Yeah, we’ll play one another within the Finals, I feel so. Maybe we’ll be completely different teams. I do not know. But, yeah, catching up within the rating, I do know she has a whole lot of defending factors, I’ve none. That’s type of the aim.”
Navratilova cites the versatile Jabeur as one player capable of pushing Swiatek for the top spot but says the Tunisian must deliver her best tennis in the biggest matches to do it.
“She reached the ultimate at each Wimbledon and the US Open. With so many individuals wanting as much as her, this takes a whole lot of effort to deal with that strain,” Navratilova said of Jabeur. “She has good power and the variability to frustrate her opponents. But now she must take that subsequent step and are available up huge throughout probably the most strain moments.
“If she can do that, Jabeur is someone who has the overall game and mindset to disrupt Swiatek’s dominance.”
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