Swiatek ‘overwhelmed’ by seeing Serena back

LONDON: World number one Iga Swiatek said Saturday she is “overwhelmed” to see Serena Williams back at Wimbledon, one year after the US legend limped away from the All England Club.

Williams, a seven-time champion at the tournament, and still chasing an elusive 24th Grand Slam title, will be playing her first singles match since her tearful, injury-enforced withdrawal in the first round in 2021.

“I saw her yesterday, I was pretty overwhelmed,” said Swiatek, the recently-crowned French Open champion.

“I didn’t know how to react. I wanted to meet her. I saw that she had so many people around her. I don’t know her team. It was pretty weird.

“But just seeing her around is great because she’s such a legend, there’s nobody that has done so much in tennis.”

Swiatek wasn’t even born when Williams made her Wimbledon debut in 1998.

But the Pole appreciates the ground-breaking achievements of the American and sees the 40-year-old still as a genuine threat despite her ring-rustiness.