American tennis legend Mary Joe Fernandez says Iga Swiatek reminds her a bit of Novak Djokovic but noted she doesn’t like seeing the Pole cry after some losses. Last year, 21-year-old Swiatek enjoyed one of the most dominant seasons in recent memory.
After an astonishing 2022 season, Swiatek crumbled under the pressure at the start of the season in Australia. At the inaugural United Cup, Swiatek got dismantled by Jessica Pegula 6-2 6-2 and afterward was seen crying on the Team Poland bench.
Swiatek also didn’t manage to win the Australian Open but she did win Doha last week.
Fernandez: Swiatek a bit like Djokovic but I don’t like seeing her crying
“Am I concerned about her? Maybe a little bit. I guess I don’t like when I see her crying after she loses.
When she lost to Jessica Pegula in the United Cup, she broke down a bit. I feel she definitely feels the pressure, and she expects herself to win every single time. But I still feel like, she is so good, she is so athletic, and she defends aggressively, kind of like Djokovic.
She is consistent for the most part, but there is still a hint of that vulnerability. She can lose, she can go off the rails and start missing forehands with that extreme grip and get a little flustered. But I would still put her as the one to beat just because she has won so much and especially on the clay with that heavy forehand, she has so much topspin on it.
I think it is going to be tough to take her down but we will see the nerves and the emotions, how she handles this second year backing up what a phenomenal year she had last year,” Fernandez said on the Holding Court With Patrick McEnroe podcast, as quoted on Eurosport.
Last week in Doha, Swiatek lost a total of five games en route to winning a title. With that, Swiatek set a new Open Era record for the lowest number of games dropped en route to winning a title.
