Iga Swiatek challenges Carlos Alcaraz for special game as Spaniard shares best highlights from Wimbledon

Iga Swiatek issued an open challenge to Carlos Alcaraz for a friendly game of Rummikub. The Pole has previously expressed an inclination towards the board game, which heavily relies on strategic thinking, a skill she is well-versed in.

Swiatek enjoyed her sixth Major triumph at Wimbledon last fortnight in scintillating fashion, dropping just one set in seven matches. The World No. 3's 6-0, 6-0 beatdown of first-time finalist and 13th seed Amanda Anisimova was the stuff of legends, in particular, and it also ended her year-long title drought on the WTA Tour.

Carlos Alcaraz, meanwhile, finished runner-up at the grasscourt Major to archrival Jannik Sinner, as the Spaniard dropped their title-match encounter 6-4, 4-6, 4-6, 4-6. He looked back fondly on his campaign at SW19, posting a few candid pictures of himself on his Instagram handle on Wednesday, July 16.

In one of the pictures, a few Rummikub tiles and a rack could be seen on a table. This elicited a reply from Iga Swiatek, who suggested that she could take on the 22-year-old.

"Rummikub! Up for a challenge? 😉," Iga Swiatek wrote in the replies to Carlos Alcaraz's recent Instagram post.

For those unaware, the 24-year-old Pole has been enthusiastic about Rummikub for some time now. She has also posted a photo of her playing the game in the past.

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Iga Swiatek: "I played Rummikub a lot when I was young"

In March, Iga Swiatek briefly expressed her love for Rummikub at the BNP Paribas Open. The six-time Major winner laid out some of the ins and outs of the board game while emphasizing that it encouraged critical thinking.

"I remember I played it when I was young a lot and then I forgot about it for a couple of years," Iga Swiatek told Tennis Channel's Prakash Amitraj in March. "You have numbers from 1 to 13 in four colors, and you have to set a pattern. [like] only 2's in the same color or only 3's in the same color. I'm not good at explaining rules but it's a nice game. You have to think but not too much. "

The World No. 3 is taking some rest before the upcoming North American hardcourt swing. She will be eager to go deep at the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Open - the two biggest tournaments in the lead-up to the US Open.

Edited by Hitesh Nigam