World No 1’s skill and power are awe-inspiring, but her mental-health focus is perhaps the most important part of her game
Predicting the future is a business best left for gamblers and fools. But here is one regardless. Shortly after 1pm on Tuesday, Iga Swiatek will hit a bullwhip forehand with such violence and beauty it will make the Centre Court crowd gasp and purr. And before too long the wider British sporting public will also grasp what the tennis world knows already: the 21-year-old Pole is a generational talent heading for multiple grand slams.
Swiatek’s movement is sublime, her power obvious. The US Davis Cup captain, Patrick McEnroe, has even compared the venom on her groundstrokes favourably with those of Serena Williams. “I haven’t seen any woman player hit with that much spin and pace,” he said recently. “Serena does it all, but Serena doesn’t play with anywhere near the sort of topspin and acceleration of the racket that this woman plays with.”
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