Iga Swiatek, Polish and barely 19 years old, she surprised the great world tennis public by conquering Roland Garros last weekend, by beating the American Sofia Kenin in the final. Since her assignment in Paris, the current WTA 17 hasn’t stopped receiving praise. Wojtek Fibak, the most outstanding Polish tennis player in history (10th in singles in 1977 and 3rd in doubles in 1979), ruled that Swiatek “plays like a man” and that “she may be the next Serena Williams.”
“She can dominate and become a second Serena. She has the mind and the blow for that,” said Fibak, in the French daily L’Equipe. Winner of 15 singles titles and 52 doubles trophies, including the 1978 Australian Open, he went further by taking an X-ray of Swiatek’s passage through the Bois de Boulogne: “In the final, she [Swiatek] it was the favorite. He has been playing great tennis since the start of the tournament. He performs his second service like the men. He turns a lot to his right. Covers the court very well. Play like a man. In the quarterfinals, against Trevisan, and in the half against Podoroska [NdR: en las semifinales]It was like playing against lost juniors on the court. “
Upon his retirement, Fibak became a successful businessman and art collector. In 1985 he founded the ‘Polish Tennis Association of Southern California’, his habitual residence is in Connecticut, but he also moves between Warsaw and Monaco. This year he was not in Paris during the French Open: “I am in Poland and it is crazy. Because it is the first time since 1974 that I was not at Roland Garros, because of Covid-19, and a Polish one wins.”
How does Fibak see the future of Swiatek? “By now everyone finds her friendly and smiling, but we saw in the doubles semi-final that she had character (NdR: she received a warning for throwing a racket). Although she won the junior title at Wimbledon in 2018, she loves brick dust and I think it may be your best surface. She is strong in her head. He is not afraid, he is brave. It has a different men’s game than that offered on the women’s circuit. She can dominate and become a second Serena (Williams). He has the mind and the strength for it. But it is difficult to project yourself in women’s tennis. Look at Jelena Ostapenko … (NdR: the Latvian, current 44th in the world, won Roland Garros in 2017 and since then has not stood out like those weeks in Paris). Anything can happen, we’ll see. “
And he concluded: “Iga has a very simple but very effective game. Almost a game to show in all tennis schools. She always played like this. The difference is that before she made many mistakes. Now I see her winning rallies that she would have lost before. it surprises a lot “.
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