‘I can’t see Serena Williams winning another major on clay’ says analyst
Serena Williams is capable of winning an eighth Wimbledon title but will not win another major on clay, according to Andrew Castle.
Williams’ search for a record breaking 24th Grand Slam title is ongoing, however her preparations for Roland Garros have been underwhelming with a first round loss at the Italian Open and a second round defeat at the Emilia-Romagna Open.
“Her preparation appears sporadic and her commitment to the sport and the work that goes with it just seems slightly less than 100%. But what all the other players in the draw understand is Serena’s 99% is enough to beat 99% of them. She has been a semi-finalist at the last two Grand Slams, so watch out at Wimbledon for that record-equalling 24th major win.”
The French Open is ultra competitive with Ashleigh Barty, Naomi Osaka and defending champion Iga Swiatek in the draw. Castle believes the Pole is a strong favourite to regain her title.
“My favourite for the title is Iga Swiatek, the defending champion who won without dropping a set as a teenager last year. Such was the state of the world that her triumph went largely unnoticed outside of tennis but it may have marked the beginning of a clay-court dominance.
“Another to watch closely is former champion Ash Barty. Rather like Dan Evans in the men’s draw, the Australian’s game has a retro feel to it. Her backhand slice gives opponents nightmares and is so effective because it is so rare these days.”
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