Wimbledon: 'Iga Has To Play At Least 80 To 90 Per Cent Of Her Best Tennis,’ Says Amritraj After Defending Champion’s Nervy Start

Wimbledon: Iga has to play at least 80 to 90 per cent of her best tennis,’ says Amritraj after defen (Image Source: IANS)

Former India Davis Cup: Former India Davis Cup captain Vijay Amritraj believes defending champion Iga Swiatek will need to produce close to her best tennis to keep her Wimbledon 2026 title defence on track, while also backing Indian doubles players Yuki Bhambri and N. Sriram Balaji to make deep runs at the All England Club.

Speaking ahead of the second-round action at Wimbledon, Amritraj assessed Swiatek's challenge against Karolina Pliskova and expressed confidence in India's doubles prospects if both pairs continue their recent form. Previewing her clash against former world No. 1 Karolina Pliskova, he said the Pole would benefit significantly from navigating difficult early-round encounters as she attempts to defend her crown.

“At the moment, it's very important for Swiatek to win these tight matches because it gets her mentally prepared for tough situations,” Amritraj told JioStar.

Amritraj noted that the expectations surrounding a defending champion add another layer of difficulty, making every close contest valuable in building momentum.

“She is the defending champion, so the pressure is on her, and the target is on her back. Winning these close matches is going to help her a lot, especially in the first week. If she comes through these couple of matches, I think she's looking at going deep into the second week,” he added.

Amritraj noted that the expectations surrounding a defending champion add another layer of difficulty, making every close contest valuable in building momentum.

Amritraj believes Swiatek cannot afford to fall below her usual standards if she wants to extend that record, as he said, “I believe Swiatek has to play at least 80 to 90 per cent of her best tennis to pull this off and make it 4-0. But, at the end of the day, Pliskova has an outside chance.”

Article Source: IANS