Aryna Sabalenka considers rivalry with Iga Swiatek ‘necessary’ for women’s tennis
Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek have met thrice in the Masters Series events this year, with the Pole leading 2-1.
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Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek (via Imago)
Aryna Sabalenka is very close to regaining the WTA World No.1 ranking from Iga Swiatek. The Belarusian tennis star is currently 949 points behind her rival and has a strong chance of taking the top spot before the season ends.
After her first-round win at the Wuhan Open, Sabalenka talked about how important the World No.1 ranking is to her. She also spoke about her rivalry with Swiatek and how it could bring major changes to women’s tennis.
Well, it’s nice to be at the top of the table. You don’t have to scroll all the way down to see your opponent. You just open the page and there you are (smiles). No, I’m joking. I think it’s been my goal since I was little… This rivalry with Iga is especially important for tennis and something very necessary, I would say, for women’s tennis. Maintaining this competition would really benefit tennis. Of course, it’s one of my biggest goals. Yes, I really want to achieve this goal. It’s a big motivation.
Aryna Sabalenka said in her Wuhan press conference
Sabalenka held the World No.1 ranking for two months in 2023 before Swiatek regained it. However, Swiatek’s position weakened due to her struggles on surfaces other than clay.
Additionally, the shift from the Paris Olympics clay to hard courts hasn’t gone as Swiatek had hoped. Meanwhile, Sabalenka has thrived after skipping the Olympics. She dominated in Cincinnati, beating Swiatek in the semi-finals, and went on to win her first US Open title, her third Grand Slam overall.
Aryna Sabalenka returns to winning ways in Wuhan
No.1 seed Aryna Sabalenka continued her perfect record at the Dongfeng Voyah Wuhan Open on Wednesday (October 9). The two-time defending champion beat Katerina Siniakova, ranked 37th, in the second round with a score of 6-4, 6-4. This win came after a first-round bye.
Sabalenka took 1 hour and 34 minutes to win the match. She defeated WTA Doubles World No.1 Siniakova to extend her unbeaten streak in Wuhan to 13-0. Sabalenka first won the Wuhan title in 2018, then again in 2019. The tournament was off the calendar for five years.
With this victory, Sabalenka earned her 50th tour-level win of the year. She now trails only Iga Swiatek in match wins this season. The race for the year-end World No.1 spot between Sabalenka and Swiatek remains close.
Sabalenka has already won the Australian Open and US Open this year. She is aiming to build another winning streak as the season ends. Last week, Karolina Muchova ended her 15-match streak in the Beijing quarterfinals.
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Fahad Hamid
(647 Articles Published)