Iga Swiatek Says Elena Rybakina Is ‘Better Than Anyone’ If She Plays Her Best Tennis After Canadian Open Win

Iga Swiatek cruised past Elena Rybakina in the final of the Canadian Open, winning the first title of the season. She broke the head-to-head tie and took a 7-6 lead.

Rybakina was chasing the third title of the season. It was the Kazakh ace who ended Swiatek’s run in the quarterfinals of this year’s Australian Open, before reaching the final and beating Aryna Sabalenka to win her second Grand Slam title.

Following her defeat to the Belarusian ace in the Indian Wells Open, she beat Wimbledon runner-up Karolina Muchova in the Stuttgart Open final. Rybakina, if she plays to her full potential, is a better player than anyone, said Swiatek at the press conference after her win.

She’s a very complicated opponent. If she plays her best tennis, she is probably better than anyone. So you have to take advantage of every opportunity. You can’t afford to make mistakes or make bad decisions.

Rybakina is on the verge of dethroning Sabalenka from the No.1 position and reaching her career-best ranking. The Cincinnati Open will be crucial because both made deep runs last year.

Rybakina ended Sabalenka’s (who played as the defending champion) run in the quarterfinals and later lost in the semifinals last year. At present, Sabalenka and Rybakina have 8465 and 7991 points, respectively.

Today I was really focused. I wanted to make the match physical and use my shots with a lot of spin, remembering that I have a game with which I can control the points thanks to the spin and trajectory of the ball. In these conditions, I also found confidence in that. But any match against her is tough, especially knowing how she serves and that she can win many free points. You have to maintain patience and not let that bother you.

Iga Swiatek added

Swiatek enters Cincinnati as the defending champion. She beat Jasmine Paolini last year.

Before the Canadian Open, the six-time Grand Slam champion’s only semifinal appearance this year was at the Italian Open, where she lost to eventual champion Elina Svitolina. Swiatek knocked out the Ukrainian ace in the semifinals of the Canadian Open.

Elena Rybakina blames fatigue for her performance against Iga Swiatek

En route to the Canadian Open final, Elena Rybakina spent 11 and a half hours on the court. She won only once in straight sets, as three of her matches ended in three sets, including against Coco Gauff in the semifinals and Naomi Osaka in the quarterfinals.

Following her defeat to Iga Swiatek, Rybakina admitted that she was pretty tired during the match.

Thank you, guys. It’s tough to find words. The tank was half empty today. I tried my best, but it wasn’t enough. Just congratulate Iga and her team with a great tournament. Of course, guys, thank you so much for an incredible atmosphere. It was an amazing tournament. I really hope I can come back very soon here.

Elena Rybakina said during the trophy presentation

The North American hard-court swing will end after the conclusion of the US Open. Swiatek will be chasing her second title in the tournament. It was here back in 2022 that she lifted her third Grand Slam title.

But last year, her campaign ended in the quarterfinals. Rybakina, meanwhile, has never reached the quarterfinals. She produced her best performance last year, reaching the fourth round. The US Open is the only Major where the two-time Grand Slam champion hasn’t yet progressed to the quarterfinals.

Aryna Sabalenka will compete as the defending champion. Last year, she defended her title by beating home favorite Amanda Anisimova.

Also read: Rennae Stubbs Claims Alexandra Eala’s Fans ‘Don’t Understand Tennis Etiquette’ After Her Canadian Open Exit