“She’s playing better than ever,” Chris Evert believes Iga Swiatek playing at her best ahead of the Indian Wells Open 2023
Chris Evert showers a heavy praise for the world No.1, Iga Swiatek ahead of her first round match in the Indian Wells Open.
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Evert and Swiatek
The former world No.1 and 18-time Grand Slam singles champion, Chris Evert, believes that Iga Swiatek is still the player to beat in women’s tennis. She had a mixed season where Swiatek lost in the fourth round of the Australian Open to Elena Rybakina, won at the Qatar Open, and then lost in the final of the Dubai Tennis Championships.
Despite that, she maintains a comfortable lead in the WTA rankings after becoming world No.1 almost a year ago following Ash Barty’s surprise retirement. The world No.1 will look to make a strong comeback in the upcoming Indian Wells Open. She wishes to continue her good form going into the tournament to defend her title after winning it last year.
Speaking to the Eurosport, Evert said, “I think she’s playing better than ever. That was obvious when she had that streak, she was just annihilating her opponents. Then she didn’t play as well against Pegula and maybe didn’t play as well against Krejcikova. It’s like every once in a while she’s going to have a match where she’s not 100%, but I still think she is the most dependable player and the most consistent out there.”
She further said, “Not only that, but she can hurt an opponent with the way she takes the ball early and her athleticism. Her average game, she’s still going to win nine out of 10 matches. So I think she’s playing better than ever. She has a sports psychologist on the team because the emotional and the mental part are very important in tennis now, and you just have to know how to manage that. I think she is getting better and better at that.”
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Chris Evert Celebrates Female Athletes as Iconic Figures Beyond their Sports
In the conversation with Eurosport, tennis legend Chris Evert highlighted the remarkable and influential contributions of several female players in tennis and across the wider spectrum of sports. Evert noted that nowadays “women athletes surpass the boundaries of their sports and emerge as icons,” a level of recognition that was not as widely acknowledged in previous times.
Praising the remarkable and positive influence of a number of women’s tennis stars, Chris Evert acknowledged the tremendous impact made by current icons such as Naomi Osaka and Ons Jabeur, while also paying tribute to the great Billie Jean King.
On the occasion of International Women’s Day, Chris Evert expressed admiration for the players who utilize their platform to express relevant opinions and address crucial societal issues and commended their bravery in doing so.
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