"Having her, play like that, it's motivating" - Swiatek on Sabalenka

WTA
Sunday, 14 May 2023 at 11:00
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Iga Swiatek draws inspiration from Aryna Sabalenka and her level this year because her goal is to beat her when they play.

Tennis is an evolving sport and if you don't keep up with the way it's progressing you are going to be bypassed and left behind. Swiatek, as the number one player in the world, carries the mantle of being the best however she needs to keep working hard in order to maintain that.

The emergence of Sabalenka and Rybakina this year showed that others are capable to hit her level and possibly even eclipse it so she's paying attention to that. It keeps her working hard and staying ready which benefits her career overall.

Having someone playing so well like Aryna is motivating. It keeps me constantly ready and on my toes. It really struck me two years ago when I played against Ashleigh Barty, I had a pretty similar feeling playing against her.

They played two big finals in the past month or so with Swiatek coming out on top in Stuttgart but Sabalenka prevailed in Madrid. To combat that, Swiatek uses imagination, to better understand how her opponent might be playing in a match against her.

So, in practice I imagine how she is playing the slice and I try to pick it up and give it back. It is a bit like that, but I am glad that have good players and we can motivate each other.

This year has also seen Swiatek struggle more compared to last year but that's in part due to the emergence of other players and some minor struggles with herself. She was able to work through that and now feels much better about her tennis. Being on clay certainly helps as well.

The season is long, so I'm not always expecting to be on that right path. I am aware that we are living a stressful life and there are going to be struggles. But at the beginning of the year, it was a little bit tougher than usual and I managed to work on that and to get through it.
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