Chris Evert has emerged to offer her thoughts on Iga Swiatek after watching her play in Stuttgart this week.
It was not the return to clay-court action that the four-time Roland Garros champion would have hoped for, but there were certainly signs of life in her play.
After all, after Swiatek had trained with Rafael Nadal, that’s the least fans expected.
Alas, it has been a tough past year for the 24-year-old, and overnight success was never guaranteed.
That being said, Evert seemed hugely excited when taking to Instagram, where she pointed out all the positive changes she noticed in the six-time major winner.
Chris Evert praises what she’s seen from Iga Swiatek this week
Commenting on a video that had plainly outlined the impact Nadal had already had on Iga Swiatek’s forehand, Evert’s comment was brief but powerful.
After all, it listed a handful of key changes that have already been made, which would surely provide the foundation for long-term success.
Does Iga Swiatek now win the French Open after changing coaches? 🤔
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Evert wrote: “To me, she looked quicker on the court, fitter, more energy, all good signs.”
Swiatek hired Francisco Roig as her new coach earlier this month, and it’s certainly promising that he has already started implementing such crucial and positive tweaks.
Why Chris Evert was worried for Iga Swiatek in the past
This is a refreshing shift in mindset from Evert, who just last year admitted she was worried for the former world number one.
Speaking ahead of the French Open on TNT Sports, the American claimed that the fear factor which once surrounded Swiatek was disappearing with each new loss she suffered.
This came after the torrid clay-court campaign she had endured, losing early in Stuttgart and Rome.
Evert argued: “I don’t think it’s just the last two weeks. She hasn’t won a tournament in a year. She hasn’t won a tournament since last year’s French Open. So this has been going on for a while.
Do you think women should play best-of-five set matches?
“Slowly, that just builds and builds and builds. The more you lose, the more you lose confidence in your game. And then the more the other players feel that they’ve got a real shot.
“So to me, the players know a strategy now how to play Iga, and they know she’s not invincible anymore because she’s lost some matches. So, it’s a combination of Iga losing confidence because she hasn’t won a tournament in a year.”
