Martina Navratilova believes WTA Finals champion Caroline Garcia is on par with Iga Swiatek in one aspect
Martina Navratilova believes Carolina Garcia is at par with World No. 1 Iga Swiatek when it comes to athletic ability. The 18-time Major champion stated that she considers the two, along with Maria Sakkari, Aryna Sabalenka, and Coco Gauff, as the best athletes in the women's game.
Iga Swiatek is renowned for her athleticism and tenacity, possessing an abundance of speed, endurance, and strength.
Garcia enjoyed the best season of her career in 2022, winning the WTA Finals while also making her first Major semifinal (at the US Open). She also lifted the doubles title at Roland Garros and finished the year with four titles in singles.
Speaking to the WTA website about the Frenchwoman's magnificent season, Navratilova pointed out that she has what it takes to dominate women's tennis.
"Terrific end to the year for a player who has all the shots in the book. She wants it, though. She’s now believing she can do it. She’s one of the very best athletes out there, on par with Swiatek and Sakkari, Sabalenka and Coco Gauff," Navratilova said.
Garcia finished her 2021 campaign ranked No. 74 in the world, which is in stark contrast to the 4th position she finds herself in at the end of this season. Navratilova believes the 29-year-old is likely to maintain her form moving forward after already experiencing a dip last year.
"The obvious thing is that Garcia can’t fall off the map like she did before this past season. As we saw in the WTA Finals, when her game is on, she’s very hard to beat," the American added.
"I don’t see anybody knocking her off" - Martina Navratilova sees Iga Swiatek holding on to her No. 1 rank throughout the 2023 season
World No. 1 Iga Swiatek currently holds a mammoth 6030-points advantage over second-placed Ons Jabeur. While such a lead seems unlikely to fade away anytime soon, it is pertinent to note that the Pole will be defending a bag full of points in 2023, courtesy of her eight title wins, including two Majors.
However, Martina Navratilova does not see the 21-year-old getting knocked off her perch given the ferocious consistency she has displayed in all tournaments.
"I don’t see anybody knocking her off -- because she’s so consistent. She wins majors -- and she’s consistent. Usually, it’s one or the other. She’s got them both going on at the same time. I think to see if she’s making any changes, adding to her game again. This past year, she made more forays to the net, and it made a big difference," Navratilova said.