Aryna Sabalenka doesn’t need ‘very strong rival’ to find motivation but convinced Iga Swiatek will regain form
Aryna Sabalenka registered her 31st victory of the season after winning her third Madrid Open trophy by beating Coco Gauff.
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Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka (Image via X/Game, Set & Talk, US Open Tennis)
Aryna Sabalenka has also given her nod to what a good deal of tennis fans have felt this season. She admitted that her biggest rival, Iga Swiatek, has suffered a dip in her form. But Sabalenka doesn’t need a strong rival like Swiatek to motivate and pressure her to raise her tennis level.
Sabalenka, so far in the season, is the most successful player on the WTA Tour. She has reached six finals, winning three titles, including two WTA 1000 ones at the Miami Open and the Madrid Open, the latter of which she lifted on Saturday (May 3) by clinching a 6-3, 7-6(3) victory over Coco Gauff.
She has 11118 points in the WTA live rankings, while the five-time Grand Slam champion sits in the second spot on the table with 6773 points. Swiatek was bidding to defend her title as well as clinch her first trophy since the 2024 French Open, but her campaign was ended in the seminal by Gauff, who registered her third consecutive and fourth overall victory over her in their 15 meetings.
Gauff would have replaced Swiatek from the second spot if she had won the Madrid Open. Despite having a significant lead in the rankings table, Sabalenka is convinced that it won’t make her complacent and that she will continue to improve her game.
I am able to find motivation within myself. I don’t need a very strong rival pressuring me. I’m not having easy matches, and that’s why I push myself to improve. Sometimes I demand a lot from myself during matches. Maybe right now, Iga isn’t doing as well, which is normal, but I know she will be back at the top.
Aryna Sabalenka said at the press conference
Sabalenka trails 4-8 in the head-to-head record against Swiatek. Had the Pole defeated Gauff in the last four, she would have scheduled a third consecutive final against the Belarusian in the Spanish capital.
Aryna Sabalenka reveals the key to her success
Aryna Sabalenka has become the second woman after Serena Williams (in 2013) to capture the Miami Open and the Madrid Open in the same season. After winning her 20th singles and her third clay-court title, the World No.1 reflected on the changes she has made in her game.
I’ve worked very hard to add variety to my game. It’s the key to my matches right now, and I’m happy to have been able to enhance my game so much. The truth is that everything is better now, and I have more confidence in my touch, I try to come up to the net more and vary.
Aryna Sabalenka said at the press conference
Sabalenka is also confident about producing her best tennis to win the French Open this season. She is a semifinalist in the clay-court Major, reaching the last four in 2023. Last year, Mirra Andreeva ended her campaign in the quarterfinals.
Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff’s head-to-head record
Prior to the Madrid Open final, Gauff defeated Sabalenka in the semifinals of the WTA 2024 Finals, which the former later took home by beating Qinwen Zheng. Sabalenka, after taking her revenge, tied the head-to-head record over the American to 5-5.
The final was their second encounter on clay. Prior to Madrid, they met in the 2021 Italian Open fourth round, which Gauff had won in straight sets.
While for Sabalenka, it was her third title this season, Gauff has not yet won a title since last year’s WTA Finals. The match against Sabalenka was also Gauff’s first final on the red dirt since the 2022 French Open, which she lost to Iga Swiatek. In her career, Gauff has so far won just one clay-court title- the 2021 Emilia-Romagna Open.
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