Swiatek-Sabalenka-Rybakina: a three-way WTA?

Iga Swiatek’s 2022 is so good that you will surely lose sight of his start in 2023. In it, he accumulated a title (Stuttgart, a 500), two finals (Dubai and Madrid, two 1000), several semifinals (Indian Wells) and a round of 16 (Australian Open), results of a very high level, however, it seems to be in the background before the rest of the start he signed in 2022, when after losing in the semifinals of the Australian Open he won the rest of the ‘big tournaments’ he played at the beginning of the year: Doha, Indian Wells, Miami, Rome and Roland Garros.

Swiatek remains number 1 in the worldalthough there are two factors which, beyond the possible threat or otherwise of that reign, seem to show that the WTA has finally found the rivalries who have been looking for many months: Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina. The remaining final in Madrid between the Belarusian and the Polish (both, in fact, met a few days ago in the final in Stuttgart, then there was a victory for Swiatek), with a high level of tennis, continuous alternatives and maximum emotions, they seem to show that Sabalenka has confirmed that his Australian Open for history may be accompanied by what is expected of the WTA, besides Swiatek: regularity.

Because the data says, yes at this point swiatek had by 2022 three out of five ‘big contest’ bet, with the addition that Madrid did not play, this season he was unable to win anything, despite being in the match against all of them. Since his win at the 2022 US Open, Iga played five tournaments between the Grand Slam, WTA Finals and WTA 1000: of the two was defeated by Sabalenka (semifinals of WTA Finals 2022 and final of Madrid 2023) and in two others for Rybakina (Australia 2023 round of 16 and Indian Wells 2023 semi-finals). That means, The Polish continues to show his regularity by the millimeter, but it seems that there are conflicts in the end in the WTA in the short and long term.

Something long overdue. After years of constantly changing world number 1, only the iron dominance of Ashleigh Barty between 2020 and 2022 the landscape changed. The Australian made a surprise retirement last year and, perhaps as the WTA prepares for more years of continuous rotation, her almost untouchable dominance swiatek gave rise to a new paradigm. Now, after a year of Polish dominance, it seems that the circuit has finally found rivalries to be more attractive.

In large part, because Sabalenka, this especially, and Rybakina seem to have taken a step forward in one of the great distinguishing features of Swiatek: maintaining the level every week. The Pole, despite his impressive record of only 21 years (he will be 22 at the end of the month), may find himself in the short and medium term on a regular basis with two rivals from whom he already sees a lot face recently and showed that he has the tennis and mentality to face him and beat him.

In a women’s tennis dominated in recent years by power, the case of swiatek It’s different. Polish ships from great mobilitywith the good footwork and anticipation skills which allows him to take the court regularly and distribute the game to both sides on both forehand and backhand to dominate his rivals. It is true that he is a player who does not have much power on the serve, but he also usually defends himself well with him, despite matches like the final in Madrid where he was not comfortable with him in many phases.

In a game, moreover, there is control but very aggressive, always looking for the winning shot and, therefore, also has a high number of unforced errors. For this reason, the step forward of Sabalenka and Rybakina is a great reinforcement for women’s tennis at the level of variables and results.

Aryna Sabalenka, a great improvement in confidence and second serve

Sabalenka It perfectly fits that prototype of great WTA players over the years. With a great first serve and a devastating forehand, loose backhand, belarusian is all power and he has shown over the years that he has a large share of the qualities needed to succeed.

There are probably two outstanding aspects to his game. The first, purely tennis, is the serve. His first serve was brilliant, but the performance of his game dropped dramatically in the second. The large number of double faults committed in her matches was so punishing that it not only resulted in her directly giving up points, but also affected her other great pending aspect, the order of thought. He changed the technique on his second serve to reduce errors and affected the work of the psychologist, two aspects matched with the results in 2023.

A down-and-out tennis player, his step forward in this regard has been huge in recent months. She cautioned at the WTA Finals with a final loss against Caroline Garcia, but that tournament made her believe in her possibilities. Won the Australian Open at the beginning of the yearthe end seems that awakened the best Sabalenka. With a very aggressive, often all-or-nothing game, Sabalenka can be unstoppable on days when her shots are winning and weak on days when they aren’t. However, the latter is less and less because the Belarusian has achieved a very high level of confidence.

Sabalenka has won ten titles by the end of 2021. Last year, she lost the three finals she played. This year, however, he has amassed three titles to his credit (with one from Madrid, in fact, he equals the thirteen conquered by Swiatek), shows that his confidence is launching his game. Of all the substance that shone on the hard courts and the grass, the clay This is his great pending subject, despite the fact that he already won in Madrid in 2021.

It is true that the one in the capital of Spain is the most atypical tournament, with a lot of height and where the power of the blows from players like Sabalenka has more incident with players who seek to control the game like Swiatek. However, the Belarusian already challenged the Pole a few days ago in the final in Stuttgart and threatens to continue its growth in Rome and Roland Garrosready to discuss the number 1 in Polish in the short term if the results continue to accompany him.

Elena Rybakina, with land as a pending issue

The cream sack is Elena Rybakina, dominates his service game and is therefore capable of performing at a high level, especially on grass and hard courts. The Kazakh is number 7 in the world, behind Swiatek and Sabalenka but also Jessica Pegula, Ons Jabeur, Caroline Garcia and Coco Gauff. However, this is probably the third argument for two reasons: the first, knows how to reign on a great stage like Wimbledon; the second, will be number 3 in the world with 2000 tournament points in London that they are not counted in the classification due to the ban on the event last year in the presence of Russians and Belarusians.

Rybakina’s results support that she closed this list of WTA references at the expense of women who were ahead of her in the classification. The Kazakh has been a finalist this season in three major tournaments played on hard courts. He won the Indian Wells final and lost the Australian Open and Miami. With that Wimbledon title last year, his ability to shine on tracks where the power difference is unquestionable.

Its great pending aspect is, surely, the clay. Even in Madrid, the oasis inside the clay, Rybakina did not feel comfortable. The Roland Garros quarterfinals in 2021 are an exception to a rule the Kazakh wants to change sooner rather than later. After stumbling again at the start in Madrid, he knows that this step on this surface is, in addition to maintaining the regularity that he has not achieved in previous seasons and yes at the beginning of this season, one of the pending factors to be able to compete for the highest level in women’s tennis.

Because Rybakina is capable of running a large number of winners and He would not defend many points for the rest of the season. Not counting the Wimbledon title, he only had a quarterfinal in Cincinnati on his roadmap last year as a poor result. In other words, a lot of ground will be added, waiting to see how it adapts to the difficult American tracks in the summer.

Many other players seem to have tennis so they can attack big tournaments. The finalist of the last US Open Ounce Jabeurteacher’ Caroline Garciathe winner of the WTA 1000 of Guadalajara Jessica Pegula or the Roland Garros finalist Coco Gauff They continue to show that they have arguments to shine, but perhaps not with such regularity Sign of Swiatekthat gets Sabalenka now 2023 and where it is getting closer and closer Rybakina. With Iga only 21 years old, Rybakina 23 and Sabalenka only 25 years old, there may be a fight for a while.

Between Swiatek, Sabalenka and Rybakina, they have won 10 of the last 18 ‘major tournaments’

A sample of why these three players are currently the fittest on the circuit is given by the fact that, since the beginning of 2022, they have won 10 of the 18 tournaments held between the Grand Slam, WTA Finals and WTA 1000. The Swiatek has gotten six , though none this year. Sabalenka and Rybakina have added two each and between them have won three of five contested this season