Swiatek's Injury A Worry At Roland Garros Claims Wilander

| by Sebastian Dahlman

Iga Swiatek will be the number one seed at Roland Garros but her victory isn't as certain as it was some 12 months ago.

Nobody was really surprised when Iga Swiatek won the 2022 Roland Garros because she had been winning trophies all season long. By the time she arrived in Paris, Swiatek had already won Doha, Indian Wells, Miami, Stuttgart and Rome.

This year she arrives to Paris with only Doha and Stuttgart wins, and injury concerns after retiring against Rybakina in Rome. She's still a sensational player but the rise of others makes this event quite important.

Besides being a Grand Slam, Swiatek also faces the prospect of losing her number-one rank though it doesn't seem to bother her. However, what bothers Mats Wilander is the Pole's injury as he revealed when talking to Eurosport.

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With Iga the one thing you have to be slightly worried about is the physical part of tennis. She's been injured a few times now, and I think that's the worry. Mentally there isn’t any problem at all. She won in Stuttgart. She knows how to win, and beat some great players there. Of course, she lost again to Rybakina in Rome, but again we don't know where she’s at physically.

Wilander wonders about the injury

Physically Swiatek is good, at least that's what the reports are saying. The injury was a minor one and the retirement was mostly precautionary. She herself tries to keep a positive outlook finding positives in the way things unfolded. Last year's prep for Roland Garros was short and rushed but this year she had a few more extra days. Like many of his colleagues, Wilander still thinks she's the favourite.

But I still think she’s the big favourite. She's the best clay player in the world. I don't think the conditions are going to make a big difference. If the courts are fast, she's great. If the courts are slower, she has a little more time. If she's healthy and she's 100 per cent, it's the same situation.

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