"The fact that now some players have defeated her can send a message to other players" - Iga Swiatek will be vulnerable at US Open, says Jill Craybas

Former American tennis player Jill Craybas has suggested Iga Swiatek will be vulnerable at the US Open after her losses to Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula at the Cincinnati Open and Canadian Open, respectively.

During a recent episode of the ATP Tennis Radio Podcast, Chris Bowers asked Craybas to share her opinion on Iga Swiatek's prospects at the US Open after the Pole admitted to being overworked on the tour. She drew parallels between Swiatek and Novak Djokovic's approach to attain perfection on the tennis court.

"I think she is always physically strong so the amount of tennis I don’t think would have that much of an impact but for her," Craybas said. "I mean she recovers so quickly, she’s almost similar to Djokovic, she’s trying to do everything in her power to have those small details."

The 49-year-old said Swiatek won't be invincible at the Flushing Meadows not because of the workload but for a different reason.

"I don’t think Iga Swiatek is vulnerable because of the amount of tennis… I think the fact that now some of the players have defeated her can send a message to other players thinking, ‘It’s possible’, ‘She can be beaten,’ and I think that in a sense makes someone a little bit more vulnerable," she said.

Craybas lastly mentioned the 22-year-old will be the one to beat at the US Open.

"She’s so professional that I have no doubt that she’ll be ready both physically and mentally to go at the US Open. In my mind, she’s the one to beat," she said.

"I want to win anyway" - Iga Swiatek on being targeted at the US Open

Iga Swiatek recently said she is just focused on defending her US Open title regardless of what her competitors feel about her. Swiatek was asked if winning three out of the last six Major tournaments has given her an advantage over other players. She replied in the negative, saying:

"I wouldn't say so because all of us can win these tournaments. You have to be ready anyway. Even if you won all these tournaments, it doesn't mean that you don't have to work tennis-wise the same way, be really intense, and mentally also be ready."

The first seed will begin her US Open campaign on Monday, August 28, against Sweden's Rebecca Peterson. She wasn't surprised to learn that she was everyone's target at the Flushing Meadows.

"No, it didn't, because I know that I won many matches against these players in the past. I understand their feelings. But, yeah, it doesn't really matter for me. I want to win anyway, no matter what they say, so yeah," she said during the pre-tournament press conference."