Iga Swiatek dismisses claims of new ‘Big 3’

Despite growing dominance, they have a long way to go before being likened to the big 3

Iga Swiatek dismisses claims of new ‘Big 3’

From left: Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, and Elena Rybakina (Credits: Sports Today/Olympics/Vogue)

Current World No. 1 and Polish tennis sensation Iga Swiatek has been the talk of the tennis community for a while now. Between her and fellow tennis players Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina, they currently occupy the top three spots in the rankings. That’s not all; the trio is believed to be responsible for a resurgence in the popularity of women’s tennis.

More interestingly, the sport has seen a number of new stars emerge in recent years, and the level of competition is at an all-time high. For these reasons, the three players are starting to be dubbed the ‘Big 3’ of women’s tennis. However, in an interview following her victory at the 2023 French Open, Iga Swiatek dismissed these claims.

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“Last year I wasn’t even asked about other players and this year I’m asked basically in every press conference a couple of times. Though they’re on the other side of the draw, there’s nothing really connecting us in this tournament — there’s always something around that’s implying that things are different,” Iga said.

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Swiatek, Sabalenka and Rybakina – the new Big 3?

Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina
Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina (Credits: Sports News, The Guardian, Hindustan Times)

For the uninitiated, Swiatek, 21, is the current World No. 1 and has won four Grand Slam singles titles. Sabalenka, 25, is the World No. 2 and won her maiden Grand Slam title at the 2023 Australian Open. Rybakina, 23, is at No. 3 and is the reigning champion going into Wimbledon.

All three players are in their early 20s and have shown the potential to dominate women’s tennis for years to come. However, Swiatek is quick to point out that other players’ tennis achievements have no effect on her outlook on the game.

“You always have to come back to what it is you want to achieve because it has nothing to do with other players, even rankings sometimes. Because you want to win matches and tournaments, and rankings go up after that.”

The dominance of Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, and Elena Rybakina on the tour after close to a decade of instability in rankings is certainly a whiff of fresh air for fans. However, most tennis pundits still agree with the fact that the players have a long way to go before being likened to the men’s Big 3 of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic.

It remains to be seen if Swiatek, Sabalenka, and Rybakina will be able to sustain their success and become the next ‘Big 3’ in women’s tennis. However, there is no doubt that they are three of the most exciting players on the tour, and are sure to keep fans entertained for years to come.

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