Iga Swiatek – The Desert Queen Stings Like a Bee

Bill Simons

IGA DOMINATES: True, Iga Swiatek hasn’t won a Slam since the French Open or a WTA 1000 since Rome. But at Indian Wells she’s on a nine-match winning streak. In each of her three matches at the BNP Paribas Open, she’s only lost 2 games – incredible. In her last nine Indian Wells matches, she hasn’t dropped a set, has won five sets with a 6-0 scoreline, and her average set score is 6-1.

SWIATEK DECLINES TO SPEAK OUT ON POLISH TURBULENCE: After Iga Swiatek won with ease today, we asked her to comment on the developments in her home country. A day or two ago, Poland announced they would be doubling their army and all men would be called up to serve in the military. Plus, Elon Musk and Secretary of State Marco Rubio targeted Poland, with criticisms relating to Ukraine’s use of Elon Musk’s Starlink defense system. Musk told the Poland foreign minister, “Shut up, little man.”

Swiatek replied, “I don’t feel I’m in the right spot to comment on politics. It’s a pretty complicated world that we live in right now, and the tensions for sure are high. I’ve been vocal about Ukraine, and everybody knows my views. I’ve been playing with the [blue and yellow Ukrainian] ribbon for a long time…I don’t feel I’m in a place to comment also because I’m not an expert. I follow, but I don’t really dig deep into the news…I know that many people are watching my press conferences and reading what I’m saying. So I’m not going to speak out, because I don’t know enough details to do that, honestly. But I’m kind of aware of what’s going on.”

TO BEE OR NOT TO BEE AT THE BEE-NP PARIBAS OPEN: Unlike last year, not a single swarm of bees has descended on the courts to disrupt a Carlos Alacaraz match. However, a fun-loving group of fans dressed up as bees in yellow and black stripes showed up for his match.

AMERICA WATCH: Jessica Pegula and Marcos Giron lost today, but Ben Shelton, Brandon Nakashima, Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul,  Coco Gauff and Madison Keys are still in the draw.

JENSON BROOKSBY REBOUNDS: Lots of tall players emerge from California to do well on the circuit.

But 6’ 4” Jenson Brooksby is different.

A slew of players come out of Southern California. But few (except for the likes of Steve DeVries, Patty Fendick and Scott McCain) have come from the Sacramento area.

Since Jeff Borowiak, how many tennis warriors have played the piano? No other top pro has been suspended for missing three drug tests – Brooksby was.

In the sometimes cookie-cutter world of tennis. men have long unleashed massive serves and bazooka forehands to impose – not Brooksby. While his serve is problematic, he uses savvy and misdirection to frustrate his foes. Drop shots and lobs are his allies. Subtlety is his friend. His unpredictable strokes are a delight.

Sadly, Brooksby has had a life-long battle with autism. As a kid, just getting ready to go school was a challenge.

Jenson soared early in his career. He reached the Newport final, took a set off Djokovic and scored wins over Taylor Fritz and Felix Auger-Aliassime. As he rose to No. 33, sages figured  he’d go even further, like many of  his fellow Americans.

But injuries and his suspension changed everything. He’s now No. 937. Brooksby resettled in Texas and has a new support team. His backers hoped he’d come back fast. But, until Indian Wells, he struggled, losing to Fritz and Tommy Paul. At the BNP Paribas this year, he beat France’s Benjamin Bonzi and the No. 17 seed Auger-Aliassime. Monday he was hoping to come out and broke the serve of the considerable Jack Draper. But the No. 13 seed powered his way back to win 7-5, 6-4.

So, can Brooksby get back to where he once was? Draper told Inside Tennis, “I’m sure he will…Unlike other players, [Jenson] changes the rhythm…He comes forward pretty well, moves well for a big guy and competes really well…He has a lot of skills. You don’t know what’s coming next.”

Draper explained that no one plays like Jenson: “He really makes it difficult…He can change the spins and speeds on his serve, and on every shot. He can unleash on the forehand, but then do angles, especially on the backhand. Sometimes the ball is not coming through that hard, and it’s not really bouncing.”

There’s one thing for sure. Tennis fans hope that Brooksby will bounce back.

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF COCO: All was good. Monday against Maria Sakkari, Coco Gauff was playing like the champ she is. Forgotten were the 21 double faults she suffered in her narrow opening-round victory. But disaster struck when she was just a game away from winning.

Her dreaded nightmare returned. In just one game, she double faulted six times and couldn’t convert five match points. Finally she prevailed over the Greek and avenged the loss she’d suffered in last year’s Indian Wells semi.

Of late, Coco’s still young career has been on a yo-yo. She had spectacular wins in China, Saudi Arabia and Down Under, until she lost to Paula Badosa in the Aussie Open quarters.

But, more recently, she failed to win a match in Doha or Dubai. With her twenty-first birthday coming up on Thursday, Inside Tennis asked Coco what she’s learned over the past year.

The wise-beyond-her years 20-year-old replied, “it’s accepting the highs and lows. In sports you want to stay on a high and ride that wave. But it’s impossible…I’m just trying to stick through those tough moments…I feel I’m able to turn it around. It  just takes one or two matches to get that confidence back.”

Coco is trending in the right direction. In Indian Wells she graded her opening match a D. After beating Sakkari, Coco gave herself a B–.

SHOT OF THE TOURNEY: When Dane Holger Rune was down a breakpoint deep into his win over Stefanos Tsitsipas, the Dane sprinted to the baseline and hit an inspired tweener lob that flew over the head of the stunned Greek and landed on the baseline.

REFLECTION ON SERVING: After Maria Sakkari faltered when Coco Gauff was struggling big time, one observer noted, “If you can’t break serve when your opponent double faults four times in one game you have to take a look in the mirror.”

After Gauff hit her sixth double fault in the last game of her match, Brett Haber offered the most succinct analysis of the week: “Holy Cow!” Gauff, who said she’s working on a new service motion, admitted it got a little squirrely at the end: “I was disappointed in the last game. But that’s the perfectionist in me.”

The Tennis Channel noted, “For anyone who struggles with their serves, the key thing is not to allow it to drain into the rest of your game.”

A NAME TO REMEMBER: Some say Andre Agassi was the best player in history who rarely rushed the net. Now there’s a junior from Delray Beach, Florida, whose name is Agassi Rusher.

BABOLAT CELEBRATES: These have been notable days for the celebrated Babolat tennis company. In November their most beloved player, Rafa Nadal, retired. This year the French-based racket company is celebrating its 150th anniversary – there’s no older tennis company.

Earlier this year, Stefanos Tsitsipas switched to one of their unmarked frames and went on to win the Dubai Open. In Indian Wells, Babolat hosted some 50 players from the Palisades High School tennis team. The school was damaged in the LA fires. The kids returned home with plenty of Babolat rackets, shoes, gear and higher spirits.

BOUNDING BRANDON: As the final seeded player, San Diego’s No. 32 Brandon Nakashima got a first-round bye. Despite not feeling well, the 23-year-old quietly finds himself in the fourth round, his best career showing at a Masters. He beat Italian Matteo Arnaldi and next plays Ben Shelton.