Chris Evert thinks Iga Swiatek could actually benefit very much from a brutal United Cup loss against Jessica Pegula. After winning her first three matches at the United Cup, Swiatek didn’t stand a chance against Pegula as the American won 6-2 6-2.
Moments after the defeat, Swiatek put a towel around her head and started crying. Also, Swiatek said in her post-match press conference that she felt “helpless” against Pegula. After the loss, Swiatek returned to the practice court to put in additional hours of hard work leading up to the Australian Open.
“I think it was like she’s surprised that Jesse played so well, so consistently and the fact that she couldn’t figure out a way to beat her when her back was against the wall. But I almost think having a loss before a major is good.
For me it was always good. If I lost the week before major, it made me even more determined and made me work harder. And so I don’t think it’s a bad thing that she had that loss,” Evert told Eurosport.
Evert: It was a wake-up call for Swiatek
“I think a loss is a wake-up call.
And I think you work harder as a result. If you’re a champion, you work harder as a result. And you don’t take anything for granted. It’s a real learning process. But I think you learn more from losses than you do from wins. So I think if Swiatek plays Jessie again there’s two there’s two factors.
Can Jessie play as well as she did in that match? Where she was consistently brilliant. Can she maintain that level? And on the other hand, will Iga have her eyes more open to the fact that ‘OK, I’ve got to up my game because I know how well she can play,'” Evert explained.
Last year, Swiatek clinched four straight-set wins against Pegula. But at the start of the 2023 season, Pegula earned a statement win over Swiatek. Now, Swiatek is the first-seeded player in the Australian Open main draw, while Pegula is the third-seeded player. Swiatek and Pegula are projected to meet in the Australian Open semifinal.
