It’s been over a year since the Polish ace Iga Swiatek tasted the sweet rush of a title, and now the former world No. 1 finds herself sitting at 8th in the WTA Rankings, a dramatic twist in her powerful journey. While most players are already tearing up the grass courts, Iga is still battling to find her feet on a surface she’s never truly called home. With Wimbledon only a fortnight away, Coco Vandeweghe, a former top American player, has fueled the controversy by deciding not to participate. The queen is faltering, but this story isn’t finished yet! However, curious to know what the American said this time?

It’s a year Iga Swiatek surely hadn’t marked on her calendar, a dramatic twist in the story of a superstar battling her greatest trial. With a 32-10 record so far, the former top seed has taken a heavy fall, dropping from 5th after Roland Garros to 8th in the world ranking recently, overtaken by Chinese sensation Qinwen Zheng, who skyrocketed to 4th after a splendid Queen’s performance. To make matters even more bitter, her stronghold in Paris faltered when Aryna Sabalenka struck back, sending Iga home in the SF, adding a painful note to her comeback quest.

And with Wimbledon approaching, former American tennis star Coco Vandeweghe commented on the Wimbledon winning chances surrounding Iga Swiatek, whose chances of winning, despite recent setbacks, are surprisingly high, while backing her own countrywomen, the recent AO champ, Madison Keys.

In a dramatic twist on a recent episode of “Tennis Channel,” the Wimbledon odds were unveiled, sending ripples through the world of tennis. The top seed Aryna Sabalenka stood taller than the rest at +250, while former champion Elena Rybakina (+500) and newly crowned Roland Garros queen Coco Gauff (+500) followed close on her heels. But then came a shock: Iga Swiatek, the superstar everyone talks about, fell to 4th in the pecking order with +800 odds, trailing her peers and battling doubts from all directions.

And as the odds fell into place, former ace Coco Vandeweghe didn’t hold back. “I can’t believe that Iga Swiatek is that high. I think she should be a lot lower. I think she should be behind Keys [Madison]. Keys has been a multiple-second weeker over at Wimbledon. I think she should be behind Mira. I think that’s where the difference lies. I think the top three, I like that,” she boldly insisted, adding a dramatic twist to the story just days away from the showdown on grass.

And when you cut through the controversy, there’s a kernel of hard truth, though. Iga’s Wimbledon record speaks volumes: playing there since 2019, she’s crossed the QF barrier just once, in 2023. Last year, she fell in the R32, a tough blow for a former world number one. Meanwhile, Madison Keys has a rich grass-court legacy: a 25-10 win-loss record at the All England Club, and two QF appearances since her debut in 2013.

Even Iga’s struggles were further compounded by a rare “Bagel,” a humiliating 6-0 set, that recently fell upon her at the Roland Garros. It’s a moment Iga will surely want to erase from memory before Wimbledon starts. 

Iga Swiatek shares her grass court plans after humiliating Roland Garros exit

In a dramatic showdown on the clay of France, the 24-year-old Polish ace fell from her throne in a match that felt more like a battle of the ages. Iga Swiatek’s remarkable 26-match Roland Garros win streak came to a painful halt in the SF, as world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka struck back with a powerful 6-7(1), 6-4, 0-6 triumph. The then 5th seed managed a mere six points in the final set, just two in the last four games, as Sabalenka turned up the thunder and finished in style.

Swiatek, a warrior who has tasted GS glory more than once, finds herself at a crossroads. She has not reached a final since securing her 4th French Open crown last year in Paris, a dramatic twist for a woman who seemed destined for domination. Nevertheless, Iga remained composed in the face of adversity, already shifting her sights toward the grass-court season.

“I’m gonna have a few days off, but the coaches will plan that. I hope we can have some decent kind of little pre-season on grass, because it’s always been pretty hard to have that, especially because when I wanted to be a little bit home. But I don’t feel like I need to be home right now, so maybe I’ll go somewhere in Europe [to] practice,” she explained after the heartbreak in Paris, letting her words illuminate a path forward.

With Wimbledon just days away, the big question hangs in the air like a thundercloud: Will this be Swiatek’s moment of redemption, or will the grass unveil another dramatic twist in her story? Whatever happens, the queen is not finished yet; her greatest chapters are still to come!