Sabalenka Will Benefit From 'Worthy Rival' Swiatek According To Former Coach

| by Alex Waite

Aryna Sabalenka has continued to show great progress throughout 2023 and 2024, but her former coach, Maciej Domka, believes she can go up another level due to the presence of Iga Swiatek.

Swiatek currently tops the official WTA Rankings, despite crashing out of the Australian Open third round following a shock defeat to Linda Noskova.

The Polish player is nearly 1000 points ahead of Sabalenka in second place, and the pair could be locked in a race for the top spot throughout the 2024 season, which the Belarusian currently leads with 2325 points.

Without Sabalenka's improved form that led to a US Open final in September and an Australian Open win to kick-start 2024, Swiatek could be further ahead in the overall rankings.

In an interview with Sports.pl, Domka, who coached the Belarusian back when she was a teenager, explained that the developing race to the top is great for fans and the two players.

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"Definitely. This competition is developing to the satisfaction of all fans and the entire tour. A champion like Iga needs a worthy rival. Someone has to raise the bar."

As the season progresses, Swiatek and Sabalenka will try to create distance between themselves and the chasing pack, including number three Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina.

The duo last met in the 2023 WTA Finals in November as the Polish 22-year-old bested Sabalenka and eventually went on to win the tournament.

However, Domka believes the current top two will continue to use each other as key motivators to kick on in 2024. The former Polish player feels that every great tennis player requires a challenger to raise their level to the absolute best.

"The competition between them has a positive impact on the development of each tennis player individually. Champions need incentives to develop. In this case, Aryna and Iga benefit from the fight we see between them on the court and in the rankings."

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