WTA: Navratilova on Radwanska – “The most creative of her generation

Martina Navratilova has found on the website of the WTA some anointing farewell words for the resigned Agnieszka Radwanska.

Creativity was one of the characteristics of Martina Navratilova’s playing facility – along with an unbridled offensive urge and groundbreaking fitness. And the left-handed serve from the advantage side, no wonder that the native Czechoslovak won 18 Grand Slam singles titles during her career.

For Agnieszka Radwanska, on the other hand, the CV in this category is zero. The entry into the Wimbledon Final 2012 remained the only near major experience of the Polish woman, who announced her retirement from professional tennis a few days ago.

This news surprised some colleagues, Novak Djokovic for example, who nevertheless spontaneously started to praise Radwanska at the ATP Finals in London. And at the same time has established similar attributes as Martina Navratilova.

In her column for the website of the WTA, Navratilova Radwanska ennobles Radwanska as the most creative player of her generation. Radwanska was a contradiction in terms: On the one hand, she brought so much imagination to the court as hardly any other player. At the same time, she was so risk averse that she vehemently opposed new ideas for her game.

Navratilova knows what she’s talking about – after all, she tried her hand at coaching the Polish for a few weeks.

“She didn’t want to make any mistakes, not even in training,” writes Navratilova. “That’s why she never hit the ball hard when she felt she couldn’t control it. Most players are most creative in training, trying things they wouldn’t normally try in the match.”

Agnieszka Radwanska was the exact opposite. “In matches, she hit shots out of nowhere that she never did in training. If she really had to, she was the most creative player of all.”