Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek are the 2 greatest gamers in girls’s tennis – however one in every of their rivals says the pair are very completely different to 1 one other.
Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka are the 2 greatest gamers in girls’s tennis (Picture: Getty)
Mirra Andreeva has confronted each Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek a number of occasions – and believes there’s a clear distinction between the 2. All three have been in motion on the Australian Open the place Andreeva is seeking to progress previous the fourth spherical for the primary time. The Russian teenager fell at that hurdle in each 2024 and 2025 whereas Sabalenka reached the ultimate on each events, whereas Swiatek reached the semi-finals final 12 months having been surprised within the third spherical a 12 months earlier.
Ought to Andreeva and Sabalenka win all of their matches, the primary and eighth seeds stand to fulfill within the semi-finals. Whereas world No.2 Swiatek is on the opposite facet of the draw, so might await the winner of that final-four conflict within the last in Melbourne. And forward of probably dealing with the pair in Australia, the 18-year-old Andreeva says Sabalenka and Swiatek are very completely different personalities – insisting the distinction is sweet for ladies’s tennis.
“I feel it is nice as a result of she’s very energetic on social media,” the world No.7 stated of two-time Australian Open winner Sabalenka. “She reveals quite a lot of the issues which might be happening on Tour. I might be trustworthy, I do type of like to look at her tales.
“It is fairly fascinating. She does a superb job of preserving type of the temper within the social media of, like, being humorous and doing quite a lot of actions with the followers, simply preserving the followers in contact when she’s not taking part in tournaments.
“Yeah, I feel it is nice. Additionally, I feel that all the individuals are completely different. For instance, when Iga was the No. 1 on this planet, everyone knows she’s extra like a quiet particular person. She does every little thing properly on the court docket. I really feel like she’s perhaps extra closed.”
Ought to she run into Sabalenka within the semis, Andreeva really received the final assembly between the pair within the Indian Wells last final 12 months. Coming from a set down, the Russian clinched her second profession victory over the Belarusian and has a 2-4 head-to-head document in opposition to the world No.1 total.
The 18-year-old really has a profitable 2-1 document over Swiatek having crushed the Pole within the semi-finals at Indian Wells. She additionally bought the higher of the six-time Grand Slam winner in straight units in Dubai a 12 months in the past.
Mirra Andreeva has loved a number of wins in opposition to each Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek (Picture: Getty)
Andreeva’s Australian Open was ended by Sabalenka in 2025. Reflecting on that fourth-round defeat, the Adelaide Worldwide champion says the 6-1, 6-2 thrashing helped her elevate her personal recreation. “Final 12 months once I misplaced to Aryna, I felt like she simply killed me. Like I did not actually do a lot on the court docket,” Andreeva stated.
“I felt like I used to be being overplayed. She was overhitting me. She was type of everywhere in the court docket. I used to be struggling to seek out possibilities to start out profitable, or to start out profitable extra factors right here and there.
Tennis information, scores and event outcomes plus chosen affords and competitions Subscribe Invalid e-mail
We use your sign-up to supply content material in methods you have consented to and to enhance our understanding of you. This may increasingly embody adverts from us and third events based mostly on our understanding. You may unsubscribe at any time. Learn our Privateness Coverage
“So after that I felt like, first, I’ve improved bodily. I grew to become stronger. I began shifting higher on the court docket as properly. Additionally mentally, which is tremendous necessary. Now I am attempting to not concentrate on who I play in opposition to, both if it is Aryna or Vicky [Mboko] or Diana [Shnaider], whoever.
“I am attempting to only concentrate on the ball that is coming from the opposite facet. I really feel like that is serving to me mentally to remain calm and centered on what I’ve to do on the court docket.”
Leave a Reply