WATCH: Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka working on their skills together in Abu Dhabi

In recent months, the rivalry between Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka has reached new heights. Aryna Sabalenkadidn't appear to have the finest off-court connection, but things appear to have changed. There was never a tension beyond the fight on the court previously. 

However, Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek are now getting along well and sharing entertaining videos of themselves combining their training routines and displaying amazing energy and vigour since Abu Dhabi brought them together at the same workplace during the preseason.

Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka shared the court for a practice session over the weekend in Abu Dhabi before leaving for Australia to formally begin the 2025 tennis season. The World No. 1 and No. 2 continued to cultivate a growing off-court friendship to match their intense on-court rivalry while in town to compete at the World Tennis League team exhibition last week.

Watch here the video:

Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka in Abu Dhabi

“Keeping each other on our toes” 😂

pic.twitter.com/VUxIJaBdX1

— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) December 23, 2024

During the year-end WTA Finals Riyadh presented by PIF in November, the two Grand Slam champions, who faced off three times in 2024 to bring their total number of meetings to an even dozen, first teamed up for a practice session. They continued to have a good time in the final days of December as they soaked up the last straggles of preseason training, practicing agility drills before exchanging groundstrokes.

Aryna Sabalenka looks to defend her Australian Open

As Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek fought for the largest prizes in the sport in 2024, their mutual admiration was one of the main plot points of the tour, and it appears that this will continue into 2025. At the latest, however, the two adversaries are unlikely to meet again until the tour arrives in Melbourne for the year's first Grand Slam competition. 

The current Australian Open champion Sabalenka will prepare for her title defence at the Brisbane International in 2025, and Swiatek will play for Poland in the United Cup in Sydney. Along with Hubert Hurkacz, Kamil Majchrzak, Maja Chwalinska, Jan Zielinski, and Alicja Rosolska, Swiatek, who won the tournament MVP award for runners-up Poland last year, will participate in Group B against the Czech Republic and Norway.