Channel Slam in sight: Congratulations pops in asIga Swiatek capture first Wimbledon title

In a few days’ time, Iga Swiatek will embark on a daunting challenge that many Grand Slam champions have faced, but only great ones have mastered: back-to-back wins at the French Open and Wimbledon, aka a “Channel Slam.”

With four Grand Slam titles under her belt, an active 19-match win streak, and a finely balanced all-around game, 22-year old Roland Garros champion Iga Swiatek has stoked hopes that she might become the first woman since Serena Williams in 2015 to earn a Channel Slam. The feat is within reach of any player who wins in Paris, but one which very few grasp.

Among those it has eluded are: Monica Seles, Martina Hingis, Justine Henin, Venus Williams, Maria Sharapova, and Ashleigh Barty.

A Channel Slam requires superb versatility and remarkable physical and mental stamina—so much so that in the pro era, only seven women have accomplished it, and even fewer (5) men. Only two men did it more than once (Nadal and Bjorn Borg), while five women completed two Channel Slams.

Those are the stakes for Swiatek, who used an improved grass-court game to make up for the lack of preparation time for Wimbledon last year to battle into the quarterfinals. She was then beaten in three high-quality sets by a resurgent Elina Svitolina.

“Last year’s result was pretty nice,” Swiatek said of that run during the clay swing this year. “I feel like every year it’s easier for me to adapt to grass.”

Yet some were puzzled when, just days after claiming her third consecutive Roland Garros title a few weeks ago, Swiatek pulled out of the WTA grass-court event in Berlin. In a statement, she put the reason down as “overall physical and mental fatigue after an intense nine weeks [on clay].” Swiatek will play Wimbledon cold, with no official matches on grass to adapt on the surface where she’s enjoyed relatively little success.