How is the relationship between Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka? Well, these two have now become two of the most talked about players in women’s tennis. Recently, both these tennis stars were spotted training together in Riyadh. Although it was all smiles most of the time during the practice season ahead of the WTA Finals, there were some nervy moments too during the match. For example, they were seen teaming up for a playful TikTok video during the practice session. Then there was a moment in the match when we heard Swiatek raise a question mark over a call by asking, “Was it definitely an out?!” After seeing all these fans have started asking are rivals turning into friends?
Well, there was another hilarious moment in this epic practice match, where Swiatek was spotted apologizing to Sabalenka for accidentally breaking her phone during the match. Overall, it was quite exciting for the fans to witness them share the stage before the mega battle. Speaking about this practice session we heard, Aryna Sabalenka’s coach, Anton Dubrov say, “When two girls like that train, there will always be tension. Because each wants to show that they are well prepared for the tournament.”
Now talking, about tensions between these two, we’ve seen quite a few controversial moments in this season. Remember Swiatek’s indirect jibe at Sabalenka after the 2024 Madrid Open final surrounding the Belarusian’s claim of preferring to watch men’s tennis over the “boring” women’s tennis matches? Then a few eyebrows were raised when recently, Sabalenka took over the top spot from Iga Swiatek with the help of a controversial rule. Have these things impacted their relationship? How is the bonding between the two? Well, according to the latest Canal+ report, a tennis insider, Joanna Sakowicz-Kostecka claimed, “I understand that there is some made-up, media conflict between them. And the truth is that even if there is no great friendship, Iga and Aryna respect each other a lot.“
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She further added, “Despite everything, many people were shocked when we heard that Iga had arranged to train first with Zheng, and then with Sabalenka.” Now, we have previously seen both these tennis stars portraying their mutual respect for each other through multiple statements. Take for example, earlier this year we heard Iga Swiatek say, “For sure when we play against each other, I feel like it’s a challenge. I think it’s also pushing me to become a better and better player, so I think we both kind of need each other to grow.”
Even Sabalenka spoke in a similar line during one of her interviews. The Belarusian said, “I think that’s amazing the rivalry we are having with Iga. She definitely motivates me a lot to get better, and I think I improve so many things just because of her.” Last year, even Swiatek’s father, Tomasz Swiatek was asked to reflect a bit on her daughter’s relationship with Sabalenka. In reply, he said, “We never talked about it, but I’m sure they respect each other as players. It’s also not like all these girls are sitting together in the locker room and socializing there.” With the WTA Finals knocking at the doors, it’s perhaps time for us to shift our focus back to this epic rivalry in women’s tennis.
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Iga Swiatek vs Aryna Sabalenka: Chances in the WTA Finals
Well, both these tennis stars have met each other twelve times in their careers. Currently, Iga Swiatek leads the H2H scoreline against Aryna Sabalenka by an 8-4 margin. If everything goes right, we may see the thirteenth encounter in the SF of the 2024 Finals. Aryna Sabalenka will enter this tournament as a heavy favorite. Especially considering the form she has been in the last few months, she will be a strong candidate to retain the crown at the end of the season.
With a lead of 1106 points over her nearest rival, the Belarusian is in a much more comfortable position than she was in last year with just a 630-point lead. If Aryna Sabalenka wins all three group-stage matches, then she retain her top spot in the singles ranking. Doing so, Aryna Sabalenka will reach 9616 points while Iga Swiatek may end the season with a maximum of 9470 points. Will this make the SF clash less interesting? Perhaps a bit, but nevertheless, fans love watching their rivalry no matter what.
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Does Iga Swiatek have any chance of finishing the year on the highest note? Well, for that, equations are pretty simple, she needs to win the title! Even renowned journalist, Marek Furjan made an honest confession saying, “The Polish woman is not the main favorite to win the WTA Finals, Aryna Sabalenka will play this role in Riyadh,” during a recent interview with Sport.pl. Do you agree with his statement?