3. Coaching changes by Swiatek + Rybakina should give them a boost
Call it the new-coach dividend. In tennis, fresh partnerships can lead to stunningly immediate results. Will that be the case for either the Pole or the Kazakh?
They each played some highlight-reel tennis at United Cup last week, especially when they faced off in the semifinals. Rybakina, who is working with Goran Ivanisevic, hit her forehand well, and seemed to enjoy herself more. Swiatek, who is working with Wim Fissette, played with positive energy, and a new willingness to follow her shots forward.
There’s no reason that either of these Slam champs should end her career without an AO title. And I don’t think there’s a good reason for them not to make the semifinals this time around. Neither will face a murderer’s row of opponents.
The next-highest seed in Swiatek’s quarter is Emma Navarro, and the three seeds nearest her are Ekaterina Alexandrova, Victoria Azarenka, and Anna Kalinskaya.
The next-highest seed in Rybakina’s section is Jasmine Paolini. Her toughest competition, on paper, may come from Madison Keys in the fourth round.
If there’s something that could derail Rybakina, it may come from the questions and scrutiny she faces off court. She has asked her old coach, Stefano Vukov, who is under investigation for abuse and banned from the tour, to return to her camp. Hopefully, for her, it’s a story that fades as her wins with Ivanisevic mount.
