“Reminds me of Novak quite a bit,” John McEnroe compares Iga Swiatek’s athleticism to Novak Djokovic
Iga Swiatek's athleticism impresses John McEnroe who compares her to Novak Djokovic who's known for his physical fitness.
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John McEnroe, Novak Djokovic, Iga Swiatek
Iga Swiatek is enjoying her life on the Tour. Ranked World No. 1 for more than 40 weeks in a row now, she is walking into every tournament as the favorite. The three-time Grand Slam title winner has played an exciting brand of tennis and has won many fans over.
Not only is her game aggressive from the first game, but she also has the sensibility to defend when needed. She has been credited by many for her ability to construct the points before landing the final blow. She was 18-1 on clay courts, 47-7 on hard courts, and 21-2 in Grand Slam events during the 2022 season.
Joining the bandwagon for praising Swiatek is John McEnroe. The American great backed her for many more Grand Slam titles in the upcoming seasons. He even went on to compare her to 21-time Grand Slam title winner Novak Djokovic.
“I think right now she’s by far and away the best player, she’s a fantastic athlete, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a young woman get slide into the corners, it reminds me of Novak quite a bit. So I would be surprised if she didn’t win a couple more French Opens at least, and she’s learned to play on hard courts so there’s no question that she’s the favorite in every tournament she plays.
“She’s got to be careful with her schedule, I don’t think she’ll go on 37-match winning streaks as much because now obviously people are going to be gunning for her more, but I’ll be very surprised if she doesn’t win a bunch more majors,” said McEnroe speaking on Eurosport.
Iga Swiatek and Novak Djokovic’s matching playing styles
Apart from the details given by John McEnroe, there are a few more similarities in the playing styles of Iga Swiatek and Novak Djokovic. Both the two-time French Open champions play with aggressive mindsets. Both players have honed their skill to hit winners from corners that require great precision.
Djokovic’s backhand is debated as one of the best ever. While Swiatek hasn’t reached that level, her backhand is pretty solid too. Her backhand matched the speed of Dominic Thiem‘s backhand at the 2020 French Open. For the record, Thiem is known for being the fastest backhand at the French Open. Both Djokovic and Swiatek have accurate serve’s further boosting their game.
While Djokovic has a proven track record on Grass, Swiatek is yet to establish one of her own. However, going from a clay court specialist to winner of five hardcourt titles in 2022, Swiatek instills the confidence of winning on Grass as well.
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Sarthak Shitole
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