Martina Navratilova Impressed by Iga Swiatek’s Clinical Performance in the Semi-Finals of Wimbledon

Iga Swiatek beat Belinda Bencic in straight sets to reach her first Wimbledon Championships final.

Martina Navratilova Impressed by Iga Swiatek’s Clinical Performance in the Semi-Finals of Wimbledon

Iga Swiatek and Martina Navratilova (via X/Jose Morgado/ABC News)

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Iga Swiatek booked her place in the final of the Wimbledon Championship for the first time in her career. It was also the Polish star’s sixth entry into a Grand Slam final and second tour-level final on grass. Tennis legend Martina Navratilova revealed that she was impressed with the 24-year-old’s display in her semi-final clash against Belinda Bencic.

Historically Swiatek has always performed poorly at Wimbledon. In fact, her best run at the event before this year’s edition was reaching the quarter-finals in 2023. But coming into the tournament she reached her first grass-court final at the Bad Homburg Open, although she failed to win the title after losing to Jessica Pegula.

2021 Olympic champion Bencic, was seeking to become the first mom to win the Wimbledon singles title in 45 years. But the former World No.1 gave her no chance in the match as she was firing on all cylinders throughout the encounter. She dropped only two points in the first set.

In the second set, Swiatek ensured that she was never broken as she was unstoppable in every aspect of the game. She chased every drop shot that Bencic tried to use, while also hitting a volley at every opportunity against the Swiss star. Swiatek went on to claim the victory 6-2, 6-0 to reach the final of the Wimbledon Championship.

After the match, Martina Navratilova was very impressed by how Swiatek deployed her game throughout the encounter against Bencic. The tennis legend revealed while on air on BBC Sports that it was the most dominant display that she has ever witnessed from Swiatek on the grass court:

This is the most dominant match for sure she has played on grass but it’s one of the most dominant big matches ever. The fact she did on grass when she has never been in this position before is even that much more impressive. She never let her foot off the gas. She had those two doubles faults at the start of the second set. No problem. That is the only hiccup she had. She was just firing on all cylinders and was so switched on. Never a moment’s doubt. She was in the sweet spot and never let off the gas.

Bencic, meanwhile is set to return to the top 20 by next Monday. The former World No.4 will be proud of her run at the Championships because she had to beat the likes of Mirra Andreeva and Ekaterina Alexandrova en route to the semi-finals. Also, by this time last year, she was playing in the ITF and WTA Challenger.

Iga Swiatek opens up about her Wimbledon final opponent

Iga Swiatek will now face Amanda Anisimova in the final of Wimbledon after the American defeated World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka in three sets. It will be the first meeting between the two on tour. But Swiatek is seeking to become the only current women’s player to win Grand Slams on hard, clay, and grass courts, while Anisimova is seeking to win her first major title.

Amanda Anisimova, Iga Swiatek (2)
Amanda Anisimova, Iga Swiatek (Image via Wimbledon, Jimmie48 Photography)

Ahead of their clash, Swiatek was asked about her 23-year-old opponent. The former World No.1 revealed that she hasn’t been following the American star’s matches on tour:

I haven’t followed her previous matches. I watched today’s match because she played after me, but I didn’t see it. I’m sure she’s playing very well, she also had a great tournament before Wimbledon. She knows how to play on grass. With her style of play, the surface suits her, so it’s going to be a challenge. Anyone with mental toughness who returns to a higher level deserves a lot of respect. I’m sure Amanda is one of those players who keeps going in difficult situations.

Swiatek currently holds a 5-0 record in Slam finals and will be seeking to win all her first six major finals when she faces Amanda Anisimova. Also, Swiatek could become the first Polish player to win the Wimbledon title in the Open Era.

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