Tennis legend Chris Evert believes her Roland Garros record won't stand the test of time because Iga Swiatek will "absolutely" beat it.
Evert is considered by many experts and tennis fans as one of the greatest female players of all time, and her dominance on clay has not gone unnoticed.
She won seven French Opens during her illustrious career, an Open Era record on the WTA Tour at the clay-court major, and deservedly earned the title "Queen of Clay."
But the American's record is under threat with Iga Swiatek's emergence as a true powerhouse on clay. The Pole has won three titles at Roland Garros, including the last two editions of the tournament. As she is days away from turning 23, she is reaching a stratospheric level of greatness.
This year, Swiatek has shown no signs of slowing down and is the overwhelming favorite to win a three-peat. Evert wholeheartedly agreed when quizzed whether the current WTA World No. 1 would eclipse her record total in Paris.
"Absolutely. Iga (Swiatek) is a player on a mission. She’s more focused. She doesn’t get upset at all when she’s losing. She just has all the ingredients to be a champion. She really does. She checks all the boxes — the intangibles and the tangibles."
The 69-year-old has been away from commentating as she is fighting a cancer recurrence. She divulged her conversation with Swiatek at last year's Roland Garros final when she presented her with the winner's trophy.
Evert stated that she told the four-time Grand Slam champion that she would surpass her record and even win as many as ten titles in Paris, provided she stays injury-free.
"She’s going to be in for the long haul, and I told her - you’ve won three French Opens, I won seven. You’re only 22, you’re going to go past that. You can go to eight, nine, 10. But she’s got to pace herself and make sure she’s not injured."
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