(Provided by Tennis World USA)
Iga Swiatek’s former coach Piotr Sierzputowski suggests there is now a much lesser gap between the players than was the case in the early 2000s during Serena Williams’ Grand Slam dominance. Swiatek, 22, lifted her fourth Grand Slam title after beating Karolina Muchova in the French Open final.
In 2002, Williams won her fourth Grand Slam title just days before turning 22. By winning this year’s French Open, Swiatek became the youngest player since Williams to collect four Grand Slam titles. Sierzputowski, who worked with Swiatek for five years before the two split after the 2021 season, thinks players in today’s tennis face tougher competition en route to winning a Grand Slam.
Sierzputowski on the difference between the Swiatek-Williams eras
“In Paris, I had an interesting discussion with Mary Pierce. We mentioned what tennis looked like at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries. I used to say to Mary, ‘Why, going to the title in 2000, you were practically losing a game per match until the quarterfinals, and she immediately knew what I was getting at and agreed.
The point is that back then there was a much bigger level gap between the top 10, maybe top 15 and…
