Swiatek's Father Details Iga's Relationship With Aryna Sabalenka

| by Sebastian Dahlman

Iga Swiatek's biggest rival this year is Aryna Sabalenka, as she nearly dethroned her at Wimbledon; the father of Swiatek talked about their relationship.

Iga Swiatek is the top player on the WTA Tour, however, she nearly wasn't as Aryna Sabalenka came really close to dethroning her from the top spot. Sabalenka was two games away from beating Ons Jabeur, which would have guaranteed her a place at the top of the rankings.

They've had a couple of battles so far, with the Madrid Open earlier this year being the biggest. Sabalenka won that match to win the trophy, which was annoying for Swiatek, but she won Roland Garros, which is the bigger trophy. Her father, Tomasz, was asked about their relationship, and he said that they likely respect each other.

We never talked about it, but I'm sure they respect each other as players. It's also not like all these girls are sitting together in the locker room and socializing there. Rather, they just go in to change before and after the game or training, just for a while, and go back to work with their team,"

Swiatek's father on her and Sabalenka
Swiatek Overcomes Slow Start To Record Opening Win At Poland Open In Warsaw
Swiatek Overcomes Slow Start To Record Opening Win At Poland Open In Warsaw

For now, Swiatek will remain number one though they will likely battle for the spot until the end of the year. Sabalenka has some points to defend, as does Swiatek, who is the defending champion in New York. It's going to be fun as the Polish superstar likes to compete.

"She was always a kid who wanted to compete. First with her older sister, then with rivals on the court. As a ten-year-old, she said: 'Let's go to a tournament for older girls, because we've already beaten everyone here. She was always looking for new challenges, that's what she had left. I remember her winning junior Wimbledon in 2018.

She was happy and it seemed to her that she had achieved everything, but it was only a moment. I explained that this is only the beginning,"

'Surrounded By Great People' Alcaraz Yet To Realize Wimbledon Triumph
'Surrounded By Great People' Alcaraz Yet To Realize Wimbledon Triumph

Read the full article

Just in

Look at more articles