"Iga Swiatek is largely unproven on grass, Elena Rybakina is my favorite to win Wimbledon" - Andy Roddick

Andy Roddick has picked Elena Rybakina as his favorite to win Wimbledon 2023, ahead of Iga Swiatek.

Four-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek has 14 titles in her career so far. However, none of them have come on grass, with seven coming on hardcourts and seven on clay.

On the other hand, Rybakina has achieved success on all three surfaces. She has won at Wimbledon (grass), Indian Wells (hard), and Rome (clay), along with runner-up finishes at the Australian Open and in Miami.

With the Wimbledon Championships around the corner, Roddick backed Rybakina, who holds a stellar 10-1 win-loss record at the Major, to successfully defend her title, saying that she was the current best grasscourt player in the world.

“[Elena Rybakina is my favorite to win at the All England Club] because she's the best grasscourt player in the world. It’s pretty straightforward,” he opined. (via Tennis Channel)

Three-time Wimbledon runner-up Roddick stated that Swiatek's prowess on clay does not translate to grass. At the same time, he remarked that whatever makes Rybakina “struggle” on clay, turns into her strengths on grass.

Roddick further said that even Aryna Sabalenka had a better chance of emerging victorious at SW19 than the WTA World No. 1.

“You won't find a bigger fan of Iga Swiatek than me. I have so much respect for her and so none of this is a slight to Iga, but she's unproven on this surface. I'm sure she would probably tell you the same thing and she does have some challenges on this surface. And what she does creating those RPMs, the movement that she has on clay, those things don't translate to a grasscourt,” he expressed.

“Conversely, everything that is a struggle for Rybakina on clay with the movement, slowing down her shots through the court is additive at Wimbledon. So I don't know how you can't make Rybakina the favorite. I actually would think that Sabalenka might be the second favorite and then maybe Iga third [or] fourth,” he added.

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Serena Williams' former coach Rennae Stubbs names Elena Rybakina as Wimbledon favorite

Elena Rybakina won the 2022 Wimbledon Championships.

Like Andy Roddick, former doubles World No. 1 Rennae Stubbs has Elena Rybakina as the favorite to win the Wimbledon title this year. And like Roddick, she also named Aryna Sabalenka as another title contender at SW19.

“Wimbledon is gonna be great. I think Elena Rybakina is the favorite there in my opinion and Aryna Sabalenka. I think they're the two probably best players on grass,” she said.

Stubbs, who has served as Serena Williams' coach previously, has named French open runner-up Karolina Muchova as a player who could be a threat at the grass Slam.

“I really think that Karolina Muchova, if she stays healthy, I think she is a real threat at Wimbledon,” she added.