CoCo Vandeweghe highlights Aryna Sabalenka is totally trying like the perfect participant within the recreation proper now however the former two-time Grand Slam semifinalist can be warning the Belarusian that she is now formally “the hunted one” after changing Iga Swiatek on the world No. 1 spot.
Over the past three months, the 26-year-old has been an absolute menace to her competitors, profitable the US Open, in addition to the WTA 1000 tournaments in Cincinnati and Wuhan. Her solely defeat in her final 4 tournaments got here towards Karolina Muchova within the Beijing quarterfinal.
Whereas Sabalenka was busy amassing titles, Swiatek did not have an excellent summer season and he or she additionally not too long ago fired her long-time coach and skipped all the Asian swing. And after melting the Pole’s lead weekly for the previous few months, the Belarusian returned to the highest spot on Monday.
For months, this 12 months’s Australian Open and US Open champion chased Swiatek’s No. 1 place. Now, the 26-year-old has it. However she now additionally has the strain that the Pole had.
“It’s as a result of she has the momentum. She’s coming off the US Open, she hasn’t actually performed a lot post-US Open. The place you see individuals enjoying which are making an attempt to get some momentum again, I’m going to drop Iga in that listing, I’m going to drop Jessie Pegula in that listing – although Jessie made the finals [of the US Open]. As a result of they’ve a bitter style of their mouth from a loss that they assume perhaps they shouldn’t have had. Aryna is the hunted and it’s additionally: what’s she going to do with that large goal on her again?” former world No. 9 Vandeweghe stated on Tennis Channel’s Inside-In podcast.
“For therefore lengthy it’s been Iga that’s had that large goal on her again and everybody’s chasing Iga to take that No 1 rating, to beat her on the most important levels. Now, Sabalenka’s going to have that mantle, and what’s she going to have the ability to do with it? Can she maintain onto that? Can she step as much as that event?”
Swiatek’s new coach had a warning for Sabalenka
After splitting along with her coach of three years, Tomasz Wiktorowski – who guided her to 4 Grand Slams throughout their time collectively – the 23-year-old added Wim Fissette to her crew.
Whereas Swiatek is undoubtedly a formidable pressure on clay, she is evidently susceptible on laborious and grass. And Fissette – who helped Naomi Osaka win the Australian Open and US Open – desires to make the four-time French Open champion a greater participant on quicker surfaces.
“Our purpose is for Iga to begin including extra Grand Slam titles on different surfaces as properly. The clay-court season has its personal twists. There are a variety of matches and tournaments performed in a brief time frame. You could get right into a rhythm, acquire confidence, and after Paris it’s time to change to different surfaces. Then there can be a chance to work on enjoying on different surfaces and attempt to succeed there,” the Belgian coach advised Eurosport Poland.
In the identical interview, Fissette assured that he can have Swiatek prepared for the matches towards her greatest opponents and particularly talked about Sabalenka.
“Prime gamers wish to play large matches, that’s their important motivation. They often don’t have issues with it, it makes them pleased. How do I work? I’ve data, movies. I put together my gamers, we talk about strengths and weaknesses, put together tactically and draw conclusions. Within the case of tennis gamers like Aryna Sabalenka or Elena Rybakina, you make an evaluation and search for a option to beat them,” Fissette defined.
Sabalenka admitted she desires to keep away from the rankings state of affairs from final 12 months
After turning into the world No. 1 for the primary time in her profession following the 2023 US Open, the Belarusian tennis star reigned for simply eight weeks. Regardless that she had a very good lead versus Swiatek, she nonetheless misplaced the highest place after not doing in addition to she wanted on the 2023 WTA Finals.
This 12 months, it is a related scenario as Sabalenka will arrive in Riyadh with a 1,046 level benefit over the second-ranked Pole.
“N1…. Let’s see for the way lengthy this time,” Sabalenka wrote on X after reclaiming the highest spot.
Heading into the WTA Finals, the 26-year-old is within the pole place to safe the Yr-Finish No. 1 rating. There are a number of eventualities through which the Belarusian can end the season because the top-ranked participant and a few of these embody profitable all three group matches – profitable one or two group matches however reaching the ultimate – Swiatek failing to make it previous the Spherical Robin stage, and so forth.
Additionally, even when Swiatek wins the title however Sabalenka reaches the ultimate, the Belarusian would nonetheless end as No. 1.
