As the 2024 WTA Finals approach, Iga Swiatek acknowledges that she has recently lost the World No. 1 ranking to Aryna Sabalenka. In a commendable display of sportsmanship, Swiatek praised Sabalenka during her pre-tournament press conference, highlighting her opponent's hard-earned success.
Having trained together with Sabalenka, Swiatek emphasized that the Belarusian rightfully deserves her position at the top. Nevertheless, the Polish star expressed her determination to reclaim the top ranking.
Swiatek's take on Sabalenka
Iga Swiatek reflected on her developing rivalry with Aryna Sabalenka, highlighting their ongoing competition for the top ranking in recent years. She emphasized the importance of focusing on her performance and taking things step by step.
"Actually, I don't know, it was just nice to practice with Aryna because we haven't done that in a while, since probably 2022. It's been a long time. I'm not really sure why... Yeah, it was a really good practice"
"She's a great player. She also kind of deserves to be world No. 1. For sure I'm going to fight for me to be in that place."
During the first half of the season, Swiatek showed remarkable consistency, maintaining her position as World No. 1. However, after Wimbledon, she endured some injuries that affected her performance in the latter part of the season. In contrast, Sabalenka's trajectory has been impressive, as she secured her third Grand Slam title at the US Open, bringing her closer to the top ranking.
Both begin their WTA finals journey
Aryna Sabalenka is set to kick off her 2024 WTA Finals campaign with an exciting round-robin match against Zheng Qinwen on Saturday. In another highly anticipated matchup, Iga Swiatek will take on reigning Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova in her opening match.
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