“Right now, Swiatek is so much better than anybody else that she’s going to be like the Big 3 in their greatest days” (Carole Bouchard in Match Points)

In the latest episode of Match Points, tennis journalist Carole Bouchard urges the rest of the field on the WTA Tour to step up and make things difficult for Swiatek

Iga Swiatek at Roland Garros 2022 Image Credit: Federico Pestellini / Panoramic

Haresh Ramchandani

June 14, 2022

Iga Swiatek has been so far above the rest of the women’s field in recent months that noted tennis journalist Carole Bouchard feels the Pole could go on to become as dominant as the Big 3 – Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic – in their greatest days.

Bouchard was speaking on the latest episode of Match Points, along with former Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli and fellow tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg. Bouchard spoke about Swiatek’s incredible winning streak, which now spans six tournaments and 35 matches, the joint-longest unbeaten streak in women’s tennis (tied with Venus Williams) since the turn of the century.

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“No one is underestimating Iga Swiatek because she has been kicking everybody’s ass. Right now, Swiatek is so much better than anybody else that she is going to be like Federer, Rafa or Novak in their greatest days. She is going to thrash everybody,” Bouchard said.

Bouchard also added that the rest of the players on the WTA Tour need to step up and compete with Swiatek, but wonders if they are as hungry as the Pole.

“The other players need to catch up. The problem is you need targets. But we have lost Naomi Osaka in a way, we have lost Bianca Andreescu, we have lost Aryna Sabalenka. Those are three players that should be with Iga clear targets,” Bouchard said.

“You need these targets to raise the level of the game and to get the rivalries and the narratives. The others need to want to catch up. Because sometimes I am not even sure that they want to catch up, like are they ready to work as hard as Swiatek is working? If you don’t want it as bad as Swiatek wants it even after 35 wins, then you are going to have a problem.”