Wimbledon favourite Iga Swiatek still figuring out grass

That clash will open play on Centre Court on Tuesday — the traditional slot for the reigning champion. With Australian Ash Barty having quit the sport, that honour has been given to Swiatek and few could begrudge her.

“We didn’t really request that. I know that there has been some discussions about who should open, and I feel really privileged that I’ve been chosen,” she said.

“There are many players here who have won Wimbledon. It’s a great thing for me. I wasn’t expecting that because still I only made it to the fourth round last year and that’s my best result.

“Hopefully it’s going to be a good show.”

Swiatek has not played a match since beating American Coco Gauff in the French Open final, having taken the decision to rest after her incredible streak of victories.

“It was just the best decision for me to stay in a good shape,” she said. “Basically I stayed home because after being on tour I feel like this is the best way for me to recover.

“It was hard to chill out and not do anything because I felt like my adrenaline was up. I felt like I still needed to get some tasks done and have some goals, like clean the house.

“But I didn’t have to worry about eating good or sleeping good, so that was pretty nice.”