MY ACCOUNT
Iga Swiatek is still a standout candidate to win the US Open, even if the WTA field has plenty of strength in depth, so says Laura Robson.
The latest iteration of the season’s final grand slam gets under way on August 29, with Emma Raducanu looking to mount a successful defence at Flushing Meadows.
But with six different winners in the last eight WTA majors, the race is wide open to take glory in New York, particularly after three-time major winner Ash Barty called time on her career following this year’s Australian Open.
That leaves former British number one Robson feeling any title fight is too tough to call, though she believes the strength of the field makes it all the more thrilling and unpredictable.
“I think it just shows that there’s a lot of depth on the WTA side,” she told Stats Perform. “You’ve got 15 players in any given slam [who could win], which for me makes it more exciting.
“I’m pumped when I see the draw come out, because things can open up so quickly. Had Ash Barty not retired earlier this year, then she probably would have been the front runner going into the rest of the season.
“It really could be anyone. Ons Jabeur is playing great tennis, [Elena] Rybakina and then [Paula] Badosa, on hardcourts is playing great as well.”
Robson acknowledged it is tough to look past world number one Swiatek, though. The Pole claimed her second French Open crown earlier this year and has won 50 matches in 2022.
“She just looked like she was on fire,” Robson added, before suggesting Swiatek’s defeat at Wimbledon to Alize Cornet came merely because “she just ran out of gas”.
“I think she’s going to transition a little slower on to the hard courts then at the US Open. They’re not quite the same surface that works best for her game.
“But at the same time, you know, she’s got so much confidence at the moment that you can’t really bet against her.”
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