Iga Swiatek's path will be harder than it was in Paris, but she is miles ahead of everyone else: Pam Shriver & other experts pick the World No. 1 as the player to beat at Wimbledon 

Pam Shrives and others speak about the Polish star's chances
Pam Shrives and others speak about the Polish star's chances

Tennis superstar and arguably the most in-form player in the world at the moment, Iga Swiatek is coming into Wimbledon this year as the player to beat. The Polish star has risen to the summit of the rankings and will be hoping to win the tournament at SW19 this year after capturing the French Open earlier this month.

Speaking about her form and chances at winning Wimbledon this year, a panel of ESPN tennis experts that included former players. Luke Jensen believes that Swiatek is the favorite to win the tournament this year.

"Swiatek is my pick. She has really turned into the WTA BOSS! Swiatek reached No. 1 by default after Ashleigh Barty left the stage in retirement, but the Polish powerhouse is on a 35-match winning streak and won the juniors at the Big W in 2018," Luke Jensen said.

Pam Shriver is yet another former American tennis player who believes that Swiatek is just head and shoulders better than everybody else on tour at the moment. However, she did acknowledge that the Pole's path to the Wimbledon title will be harder than the French Open.

"Swiatek is your winner. Her path will be harder than it was in Paris, but she is miles ahead of everyone else. Her win streak will be at 42 after Wimbledon," Pam Shriver said.

"I have her as the obvious favorite, but it's not as clear-cut" - Brad Gilbert on Iga Swiatek's chances at Wimbledon this year

Iga Swiatek hitting the practice courts ahead of Wimbledon 2022
Iga Swiatek hitting the practice courts ahead of Wimbledon 2022

The likes of Pam Shriver, Luke Jensen, Brad Gilbert and Cliff Drysdale also believe that Iga Swiatek is the player to beat on the women's side of the draw. Gilbert said that while he was not as confident about Swiatek's ability on grasscourt as he was about her ability on clay, he was still confident that the Pole would win the event.

"I am still confident that Swiatek will win, as she is best player in the world. At the French Open, I would've taken her versus the entire field, but I'm not as confident here. She has that win streak but not as much experience on grass. If she does stumble, it is completely wide open. I have her as the obvious favorite, but it's not as clear-cut," Brad Gilbert said.

Cliff Drysdale believes that the World No. 1 has an aura about herself at the moment and is feared by her peers in the locker room. This is one of the reasons why Drysdale is picking Iga Swiatek as the favorite at SW19 this year.

"Swiatek. Because of her magnificent ground strokes, unparalleled confidence and locker room fear factor. The negatives for her are high expectations from both the tennis world and herself," Cliff Drysdale said.

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