‘Tightening a Small Screw’ – Iga Swiatek Sincerely Advised to Follow Aryna Sabalenka’s Lead to Overcome Critical Tennis Loophole
Before the start of the WTA Finals, tennis enthusiasts thought that one of the top two players in the world would certainly make it to the finals. Aryna Sabalenka sailing through the round-robin stage solidified those expectations. Though she faltered in the semifinals against Coco Gauff. Nonetheless, the Belarusian star had an amazing year by claiming 2 Grand Slam titles and a few WTA titles. A contrast to her form almost 2 years ago, when she was unable to dig deep to leave her mark on the court. However, through special help from Dr. Piotr Krężałek, Sabalenka turned things around for her. Will Iga Swiatek also leverage the brains of Polish biomechanics to improve her game?
In talks with the Sports.Pl on November 8th, Dr. Piotr Krezalek, from the Academy of Physical Education in Krakow, Poland opened up about the reason behind Sabalenka’s improvement in 2 years from making 20 double faults in a match to serve brilliantly. He credited the science of biomechanics with the improvements. He said, “Biomechanics are of great importance in every sport. And especially at the highest level, where it’s about tightening a small screw, about adding something extra to a champion-level athlete, about adding a little element that the competition doesn’t have.”
Rightly so, at the highest level, athletes have their basics on tips and just need minor adjustments to reach another level. Moreover, he further explained the “tightening of screws” with the help of the famous book, “Atomic Habits” which leveraged Great Britain’s cycling team to highlight how small changes made prove far-reaching results. He further added, “There’s the aforementioned coach, who took care of the cycling team in Great Britain and raised its level a lot, thanks to the fact that he started paying attention to details, to trifles that seemed insignificant at first glance, and after adding up gave a great effect – the team improved its quality a lot.”
When we take Swiatek’s season into account, the Pole star had a tough year. She won the Roland Garros title, yet again, but faltered to prove her mettle on any other surface during the Grand Slam. And had to settle for a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics. Moreover, the Pole star was unable to find her rhythm back in the 2nd half of the season, which culminated in an early exit from the WTA Finals. How could she regain her dominating form? Dr. Krezalek thinks that his department could be helpful to Swiatek in transforming her game and achieving the next level. He said, “Of course, there would be an opportunity for Iga to use our help.”
Will Iga Swiatek take on Dr Krezalek’s offer or not is something that the player would have to decide during the off-season, as she gets ready for the 2025 season. However, if we take her latest tournament into account, where the Pole star landed herself in a do-or-die situation, Swiatek certainly needs to make a few adjustments to get back on track.
A first time for everything: Iga Swiatek’s do-or-die match in Riyadh
It’s unusual for Iga Swiatek to fight for survival. However, the former World No.1 found herself in a tough situation at the WTA Finals. Swiatek was unable to breeze through the round-robin stage. The Pole star lost a match in the group stage, and after claiming 2 wins, the Pole needed a third win to make it to the semifinals- a do-or-die situation, resting on the last match of the group stage. However, her match against Jessica Pegula was canceled after she withdrew due to injury. Hence, the Pole was ousted from the tournament.
Narrating her do-or-die dilemma before Pegula announced her withdrawal, she said, “Honestly, this will be the first time I’ve been in this situation. It’s something new, and it’s definitely exciting.” However exciting things might have been, Swiatek circumstances became a roadblock in her journey. Coco Guaff rose to the occasion and defeated Swiatek to make her way into the semifinals
Moreover, it’s not just at the Riyadh, Iga Swiatek struggled during the US Open too. And withdrew from the Asian swing to recover and regroup for the year-end tournament. In addition to this, the former World No.1 changed her coach, as she collaborated with Wim Fissette. It seems that Swiatek is looking for a change to shine on other surfaces. Would she take help from Dr Krezalek to aid her efforts? Only time will tell!
