Iga Swiatek says she will not ‘contribute to hatred’ of Aryna Sabalenka
Iga Swiatek says any narrative that Aryna Sabalenka is âthe bad oneâ in the rivalry should stop immediately.
Swiatek and Sabalenka have emerged as the two top players on the WTA Tour and have both won Grand Slams and spent time at world number one this season.
The rivalry they are building is becoming one of the best in recent memory in womenâs tennis, and it is often fed by a perception among fans that Swiatek is âgoodâ and Sabalenka âbad.â
Much of that has been blown up from the conflict in the Ukraine, the invasion of which by Russia is supported by Belarus â the nation of Sabalenkaâs birth.
That conflict has had an impact on Poland too due to sharing a border with Ukraine, meaning many have been trying to place a geo-political angle on their on-court rivalry.
However, Swiatek has asked for that to end, saying that while they may not get on especially well, she wants no part in âcontributing to hatredâ of anyone.
âI see that Poles donât really like her,â Swiatek told Rzeczpospolita of Sabalenka. âWe simply have two completely different personalities colliding.
âYou can see the contrast. I wouldnât say Iâm a good character and sheâs a bad one, because that puts her in a negative light.
âWe are just different. I donât want to be one of those people who judges. I know what life is like on the Internet and I donât want to contribute to hatred towards anyone.
âFirst of all, we have great respect for each other and are kind to each other.â
Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka head-to-head
The budding rivalry between Swiatek and Sabalenka is certainly building nicely, and it doesnât look like ending any time soon either.
Both players have had a stunning couple of years on the WTA Tour and appear to be at the peak of their powers. One look at the world rankings will show them nearly 2500 points ahead of number three Coco Gauff, highlighting their dominance of the womenâs game right now.
Of the two players, though, Swiatek has definitely had the best of the head-to-head.
They have played each other nine times so far with the Pole winning six of them. Three of those matches have been in finals, with Swiatek winning two. She also won their last meeting as well, which was in the recent WTA Finals semis, and the only Grand Slam clash between them (US Open 2022 semi-final). Swiatek is also leading the rivalry in titles (17-13) and weeks at world number one (78-8).
Tournament | Round | Winner | Score |
2021 WTA Finals | Round 1 | Sabalenka | 2-6, 6-2, 7-5 |
2022 Doha | Quarterfinals | Swiatek | 6-2, 6-3 |
2022 Stuttgart | Final | Swiatek | 6-2, 6-2 |
2022 Rome | Semi-final | Swiatek | 6-2, 6-1 |
2022 US Open | Semi-final | Swiatek | 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 |
2022 WTA Finals | Semi-final | Sabalenka | 6-2, 2-6, 6-1 |
2023 Stuttgart | Final | Swiatek | 6-3, 6-4 |
2023 Madrid | Final | Sabalenka | 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 |
2023 WTA Finals | Semi-final | Swiatek | 6-3, 6-2 |
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