Right at the start of this season, American legend Andy Roddick made a bold prediction about Iga Swiatek. He said, “Iga is gonna win a handful of Grand Slams on surfaces that aren’t clay. She just will, she’s 23.” Swiatek’s biggest success on non-clay courts came way back at the 2022 US Open. Since then, she has made long runs, but the Pole has failed to deliver when it mattered the most. For example, this year she reached the SF of the AO, but over there she was defeated by the eventual champion, Madison Keys, in a three-set thriller. Surprisingly, even at Roland Garros, she failed to win the title this year. Can she prove herself at Wimbledon?
Well, Iga Swiatek entered this tournament following her impressive run to the finals at the Bad Homburg Open, where she was defeated by America’s Jessica Pegula by 6-4,7-5. She broke down in tears after that defeat. But at the same time, Swiatek was also heard saying, “This tournament shows there is hope for me on grass. I’m happy we can play here, and I’m happy I could prove that.” Talking about her hopes on grass, do you know Iga Swiatek won the Wimbledon girls’ singles title in 2018? Although she has recently failed to find success on this surface, one can’t surely deny her potential. Even Pegula said, “I know you say you can’t play on grass, but trust me, you can still play pretty good on grass. Cut yourself some slack.” At Wimbledon, Swiatek has already got off to a winning start, and she’s all set to face America’s McNallly in the second round.
Swiatek defeated Polina Kudermetova in the first round by 7-5,6-1. Can she now beat the American and secure a spot in the third round? Well, before entering the battlefield, both Iga Swiatek and Caty McNally were spotted unveiling a very interesting childhood story. Swiatek claimed, “Caty and I know each other from our junior days and she will definitely be a tough opponent. She really likes playing on the grass and going to the net, playing a slide, so she will definitely change her rhythm often. I have a lot of respect for her.”
In the interview with Canal+ Sport, McNally was also heard saying, “It’s quite a funny story. I went to Iga, she didn’t have anyone to play with, so we said: Yes, let’s play. I knew she was a great player and I thought our styles would go well together.” The American further added, “Iga lived at our house and trained with my brother. My mother bought Iga books in English because she loves reading. I respect her a lot for that.” Talking about Iga Swiatek’s achievement throughout her nine-year-long professional career, McNally said, “She deserves it. She works very hard and is very modest.“
July 1, 2025, London, Celestynow, England: IGA SWIATEK of Poland during the match against P. Kudermetova in the first round of Championships 2025 at Wimbledon AELTC in London. London England – ZUMAc278 20250702_zsp_c278_013 Copyright: xMarcinxCholewinskix
Friendships like this are pretty rare amid the grueling nature of the sport. But for the next few hours, both these players will perhaps be looking forward to keeping this camaraderie aside and pounce on each other to secure a spot in the next round of the 2025 Wimbledon. Iga Swiatek has met Caty McNally twice in her career. The first one was in the SF of the 2018 French Open Juniors, where the American had the last laugh in a three-set victory in the SF. Then their second meeting was in the QF of the 2022 Ostrava Open, where Swiatek defeated McNally by 6-4,6-4. Iga Swiatek in June 2024. It was a good chance for her to secure one at Bad Homburg, but she failed. Does she have a chance of going deep at Wimbledon?
Analyzing Iga Swiatek’s chances at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships
Due to her poor form in the last few months, Iga Swiatek had dropped down to number 8 a few weeks ago, but her impressive performance in Bad Homburg has now yet again secured her a place inside the Top 5. Out of the four major events, Swiatek has struggled the most at Wimbledon. Her best record was reaching the QF in 2023, and she has a win percentage of just 71% at the grass court major.
Everyone criticized Swiatek after her loss at the Bad Homburg final. However, talking about her game on grass, Jessica Pegula said, “Her footwork is so good. I think that’s really important on grass. I think footwork is definitely one of her strengths…We have some really good points. She still moves really well on the grass, too, which I think is, like, a huge advantage.“
Other than Pegula (recently knocked out of the 2025 Wimbledon), even the former German tennis player, Andrea Petkovic, claimed that she expects big things from Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon. How big, though? Well, during a recent episode of the Becker Petkovic Podcast, she said, “I believe that Iga Swiatek will win the tournament. She’s not traditionally a good grass-court player. But I’ll tell you why. I was in Bad Homburg, and in two of her matches, a falcon circled over her head for ten minutes. Wow. I saw that, and I thought, that’s the sign. That’s the sign. She’ll win Wimbledon.” Superstition or just a bold prediction?
Perhaps both, but she’s really impressed with Swiatek’s performance against the 2024 Wimbledon finalist, Jasmine Paolini, in the SF of the Bad Homburg Open. Other than that, the defeat against Pegula could also perhaps re-ignite her hunger even further to win the title at Wimbledon, claims the former world number nine. Do you also think Iga Swiatek can win the title this year? Follow the Championships in real-time with EssentiallySports’ Live Blog updates.
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