British tennis star believes Iga Swiatek ‘scares’ her opponents more than Aryna Sabalenka
Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka were the standout players of 2024, winning three out of the four Grand Slam titles.
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Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka (Images via X)
British tennis star Jodie Burrage has highlighted the differences between Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek in terms of their playing styles. Burrage, who has broken into the top 100 despite facing many injury setbacks, shared her insights on the two top players.
According to Burrage, Sabalenka is an extremely complete player, which is evident from her World No. 1 ranking. On the other hand, Swiatek possesses a ‘scary’ factor that can intimidate opponents, often leading to one-sided matches.
They are different gravy. It feels like I can’t actually compare myself to them yet. When I played against Sabalenka in the second round of the US Open last year, I really wasn’t happy with how I played, but it was still only 6-3 6-2. I had a few break point chances and other opportunities. I wasn’t happy about how I hit my forehand in that match and yet I still managed to win games and create chances.
Jodie Burrage said in an interview on Tennis365
Sabalenka and Swiatek were the standout players of 2024. Together, they won three out of the four Grand Slam titles and finished the season as the top two players in the world.
After playing them, you do realise they have holes in their game, but they are very good. Iga (Swiatek) scares me. The way she bagels people, it scares me! I watch a lot of tennis now and that is something that has changed for me in recent years. I think it helps when you see what those guys do and how they play. So when I played Sabalenka at the US Open, it helped that I had watched her play a lot and knew what she would do.
Jodie Burrage added
Swiatek held the World No. 1 ranking for most of the 2024 season. However, a sharp decline after the Paris Olympics, combined with Sabalenka’s resurgence, led to the two trading places in the WTA rankings.
Aryna Sabalenka edges Elena Rybakina in an exhibition match
The World Tennis League had an exciting start, with Aryna Sabalenka of Team Hawks winning a close match against Team Falcons in Abu Dhabi. Sabalenka started strong, quickly taking a 5-0 lead in the first set. The three-time Grand Slam champion seemed unstoppable, not giving Elena Rybakina any chances to break her serve.
However, the match changed dramatically as Rybakina fought back. Sabalenka missed ten match points during crucial moments, which gave Rybakina a chance to push the set to a tie-break. Despite the pressure, Sabalenka held her nerve and won the tie-break 7-6 (3) on her tenth match point.
Rybakina showed great determination during the match. She broke Sabalenka’s momentum, avoided a 6-0 defeat, and saved eight match points in her service games. Her resilience kept the match alive and added to the drama.
In the tie-break, Rybakina took a 3-1 lead, raising hopes of a comeback. But Sabalenka stayed focused and won six points in a row to claim the victory. This win was another success for Sabalenka over Rybakina, following her previous win in last year’s World Tennis League.
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Fahad Hamid
(593 Articles Published)