Eurosport expert Mats Wilander: "Iga Swiatek enriches the sport immensely"
Before the start of the Australian Open 2023, Eurosport expert Mats Wilander answered questions from international journalists. And talked about the big favorites among men and women.
by tennisnet.com
last edit:
Jan 14, 2023, 01:16 pm
Mats Wilander knows how to get Grand Slam honors in Melbourne. The legendary Swede has won the title at the Australian Open three times: in 1983, 1984 and 1988. As an expert for Eurosport, Wilander has been accompanying the biggest tournaments in the tennis circuit for years. And before the start of the Australian Open 2023, he thought about it in a round of talks with international journalists.
Mats Wilander on...
... the women's favourite, Iga Swiatek:
All other players and I believe that there is only one way to beat Iga. And you can only do that on a fast court. You have to hit the ball really hard. And you can't give Iga any time. Iga is the big favorite. And her biggest challenge is believing that she can solve problems during a match better than her competitors. If she can do that she will be very, very difficult to beat. It enriches the sport immensely.
... Carlos Alcaraz's injury problems:
We should be worried about someone who is number one in the world, only 19 years old, who has taken all the time to recover after the US Open. And who still can't come back. This tells me that this injury is not easy to treat. It's sad that he had to pull out and is injured at 19. I don't like that. This is bad news.
... Nick Kyrgios' chances :
I think there are two tournaments that are important to him: the Australian Open and Wimbledon. These two take place on surfaces that suit him best. I think he will be really dangerous in these two events. For me, Alcaraz and Kyrgios are the two coolest players. But that doesn't mean they're also the top two.
... the NextGen and Holger Rune:
I think Holger Run could be the next big player because he really believes in himself. He has an extremely aggressive style. He's already extremely strong physically, whether it's how he hits the ball or how he moves. I'm betting on him because his game is absolutely powerful. His serve isn't that great. But Carlos Alcaraz's serve isn't great either. But the fact that Carlos managed to win a Grand Slam tournament at the age of 19 shows Holger Rune: Hey. I can win when I'm 19 or 20."
Eurosport will show the Australian Open 2023 from Monday, January 16, 2023, live on Eurosport 1 on free TV, on Eurosport 2 and on up to 16 parallel channels on the discovery+ streaming service. In Austria, the top matches can also be seen on ServusTV.