Is Iga Swiatek suddenly vulnerable on clay after failing to win the Mutua Madrid Open?
Well, maybe not.
Madrid is a bit of an unusual clay-court tournament, as the high altitude makes conditions much faster there than they are in, say, Rome or Roland Garros. Swiatek still made it all the way to the final in Madrid before falling to Aryna Sabalenka, for whom the quick conditions are perfect. The Internazionali BNL d’Italia is more conducive to Swiatek’s game, so it’s no surprise that she is seeking her third consecutive title in the Italian capital. In fact, the Pole did not drop a single set at this event in 2022 and in 2021 she lost only one–to Barbora Krejcikova.
Speaking of Krejcikova, let’s take a look at Swiatek’s primary challengers at the current Premier WTA 1000 tournament.
Barbora Krejcikova
Krejcikova may not be red hot right now, but keep in mind that three of her last four losses have come to Sabalenka and four of her last five hame come to Sabalenka or Swiatek. Having already succumbed to Sabalenka three times this spring, it may actually be a good thing that Krejcikova is in Swiatek’s half of the draw as opposed to that of the Belarusian. The 27-year-old Czech won the French Open in 2021, so she is more than capable on clay. It would be no surprise if another big title on the dirt is coming her way.
Jessica Pegula
Pegula has a favorable draw in the bottom half; she would not play Sabalenka until the semis and Swiatek until the final. The American finds herself in a section with doubles partner Coco Gauff, who is struggling in singles at the moment. Although Pegula may not be at her very best on clay, it’s worth remembering that she finished runner-up in Madrid last year. She reached the Madrid quarterfinals this time around and also has two semifinal finishes at the 1000-point level in 2023.
Aryna Sabalenka
I correctly picked Sabalenka to win the Madrid title. I’m not going to do the same in Rome given the conditions, but at the same time she cannot be entirely discounted. The world No. 2 is playing so well these days that the setting hardly matters. If Sabalenka continues to serve effectively, there is no reason why she can’t lift another significant clay-court trophy.
who ya got?
Putting the men’s winner poll under an article about the women contenders is Madrid level awkwardness.
it’s a poll, not a cake!
LOL…
jinx!
Sabalenka has had her purple patch. It’s time for Swiatek to show them who is boss again.
Just focus on mastering yourself, and the rest will take care of itself.
Saba in trouble. Think she is going to lose.
Saba lost. Kenin played well.and Saba did not. Saba looked tired and it may be good for her to go out early and rest.
Pegula losing to Townsend another shocker.
To me, it’s not terribly shocking. Kenin did shock me, though, the year she won the Australian Open out of the blue.
Pegula and Sabalenka and their teams did not do their homework.
Townsend is a tricky lefty and has a high tennis IQ. And Sofia Kenin can beat anybody if she’s at her best.
Yes was using words carelessly. Kenin can play great one moment and terrible the next though. May not progress much further.
I.got in to see Barbora broken when serving for the set. Apparently she was up 5-1! Not looking good for her right now. Playing pretty terrible.
2 dfs in a row in the tb ! Can’t control the ball toss. First serve on a permanent holiday..
😪
Jelena wins the set.
Almost the first rule of tennis: do not serve a double fault in a tie break!
I have had to stop watching as I adore Barbora and that was so painful to watch. Jelena was up 3-0 in the second when I stopped and Barbora was playing terrible.
Her serve completely fell apart.
Has this happened before? The problems with the ball toss?😪😪
I didn’t see the match. But Krejcikoova likely got fed up and asked herself what am I doing here? That is what my guess is, getting the bagel. Krejcikova is a favorite to win RG. And I hope Ons Jabeur gets enough recovery time before RG. And Swiantek and Sabelenka…
The WTA is on fire!
I did see a bit of Ostapenko’s last match vs. Cirstea. Cirstea is tough to beat, and she is always in winning form.
I thought Ostapenko would lose, but she kept hitting, and her balls went in.
Barbora will be fine. Jelena has some days when she is just impossible to beat.
There was the one time when she did it, and none of us knew who Ostapenko was, and she won the FO! She was 19 or 20 and beat Simona Halep in the Final!
Gosh these interchanges between Jelena and the umpire about line calls are quite something. The umpire is getting very angry withher…
Really? I didn’t get to watch the match I wanted most to watch!
Ostaapenko vs Kasatina
They have vastly different styles in tennis. I wanted to see sparks fly!
Jelena was questioning everything at one point and the umpire was jumping up and down off her chair like a yoyo! She was getting very angry with Jelena! Jelena responded with sarcastic thumbs up like Med! Very dramatic…
Yeah, that’s what is fun about Jelena; she is a female honey badger. I like it when she goes off.
But I am missing it! Those two players are great personalities on the tour. 😀
Jelena is blasting Dasha 4-0 in the third. I like them both!
It’s time for Jelena to be in the final stages of a,slam. Certainly at RG.
But she is so unpredictable…
Maybe she is ready to be more predictable? I don’t know, but I would like her to be on a fitness routine – she can eat what she wants but can’t sit around afterward.
When she was growing up, she was a little ballroom dancer!
She’s an athlete that I hope finds her potential. but I imagine she is as stubborn as a mule, as my dad would say.
Maybe she also needs a psych coach given the way her game comes and gos so suddenly? Many players have them : Iga, Saba…
It’s true that physically she doesn’t much look like a professional athlete..