Elena Rybakina calls out Aryna Sabalenka as tougher competitor than Iga Swiatek

World number four Elena Rybakina has picked Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka as a tougher opponent than the current world number one Iga Swiatek. The 24-year-old is regarded as one of the best players currently in women’s tennis and has been in impressive form in the ongoing season where she lifted the Abu Dhabi Open and the Stuttgart Open.

That’s not it as Rybakina also finished as the runner-up after losing in the final of the Qatar Open and the Miami Open. The Moscow-born star was recently quoted in a report where she picked Sabalenka as a tougher opponent compared to Swiatek. “Well, I would say Aryna. We play a lot of tough matches, and she’s very aggressive,” she said. “She has good power. And with Iga I feel like I have more dominant in the, just, game by my power over Iga. With Aryna, it’s tougher.”

Those words might surprise a few but looking at the numbers, it is clear that Rybakina does not like playing against the two-time Grand Slam winner as in nine meetings, she has only won three times and suffered six defeats in the process. On the other hand, against Swiatek, the reigning world number four registered four and suffered just two defeats in six meetings.