Elena Rybakina has Iga Swiatek’s number in 2023.
Two victories do not make up a very large sample size, but it’s clear that Rybakina has a better chance against the world No 1 than anyone else on the WTA Tour on any given day. The Kazakh upset Swiatek 6-4, 6-4 in the Australian Open fourth round and then erased her 6-2, 6-2 in the semi-finals of the BNP Paribas Open on Friday.
It’s tough enough for Swiatek to withstand Rybakina’s power even when the Pole is at full strength. On Friday she said following her loss that she was struggling with a rib problem.
“Honestly I feel like it’s still more me and kind of my mistakes,” Swiatek said when asked about what Rybakina did well. “I’m also like not feeling 100 percent physically. I have a little like discomfort in my rib, and we’re going to consult with medical team. For sure I’m gonna use these days off before Miami…. Actually I have one more day.”
The next 1000-point in Miami begins next Wednesday. Swiatek is the defending champion there, just as she was in Indian Wells having completed the Sunshine Double last year.
Swiatek did, however, also give her opponent credit.
“For sure Elena played great tennis today, and I feel like against her I have to play better,” the top seed commented. “She was playing really well. I’m pretty sad that I lost, but on the other hand overall it’s a pretty good tournament for me.
Following is a summary of current sports news briefs. Tennis: Creaking Djokovic adjusting to new reality at French Open Novak Djokovic was p
PARIS (Reuters) – Stefanos Tsitsipas said he is getting back to his best by easing the burden on his shoulders and playing without any expectations as he
Peruvian Juan Pablo Varillas has already spent almost 12 hours on court at Roland-Garros, despite only playing three matches so fa
The news of Rafael Nadal undergoing surgery to address his long-standing hip injury has caught the attention of tennis fans. At the Australian Open earlier th