News in: John McEnroe highlights Iga Swiatek’s biggest flaw and urges her to adapt…see more

Iga Swiatek has a strong lead at the top of the WTA Rankings, but her defeat against Jessica Pegula in the US Open quarter-finals sparked a debate over her tactical approach.

Swiatek’s all-out attacking game tends to blow most of her rivals away, but she has shown some signs of frailty. “One issue for me is she doesn’t want to play defence at all,” said McEnroe.

“At times, she should pull back when the offence isn’t going as well as it can do on clay. She keeps trying to hit out, which is somewhat surprising for someone who prefers a slower surface.

“I was a little surprised that she is either unwilling or unable to make adjustments on the faster surfaces.

“I don’t know if she had a dip in confidence, but if you saw someone like Iga digging in and defending as well as she attacks, that would be hard opponents to overcome.

“I’m a little surprised she has not made that adjustment, but she is young. Hopefully she can make that adjustment and improve a little at the net.”