“I'm not thinking about her amount of Grand Slams” Aryna Sabalenka reflects on rivalry with Iga Swiatek after Brisbane title

Aryna Sabalenka discussed her rivalry with Iga Swiatek after claiming the Brisbane International title. The World No. 1 was asked about her aspirations to match Swiatek’s five Grand Slam titles and prove herself as the most dominant player of her generation.

The three-time Major champion began the season in impeccable form, winning the WTA 500 Brisbane International. Along the way, she defeated Yulia Putintseva and Mirra Andreeva before rallying from a set down to triumph over the surprising Polina Kudermetova in the final.

Sabalenka downplays Grand Slam rivalry with Swiatek

The Sabalenka-Swiatek rivalry has been the most prominent in recent years, with both players occupying the World No. 1 spot since Ash Barty’s retirement in April 2022. However, Swiatek has spent significantly more time at the top, with 125 weeks compared to Sabalenka’s 20.

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In terms of Grand Slam titles, Swiatek leads with five (French Open 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024, and US Open 2022), while Sabalenka has three (Australian Open 2023, 2024, and US Open 2024). For now, the Belarusian seems to be the player in better form and enters the Australian Open as the favourite, aiming to defend her titles from the past two years.

Among active players, Venus Williams holds the most Grand Slam titles (7), though she hasn’t competed since the 2024 Miami Open. Following her are Swiatek (5), Naomi Osaka (4), Sabalenka (3), Simona Halep (2), Petra Kvitova (2), Victoria Azarenka (2), and Barbora Krejcikova (2).

After her Brisbane victory, Sabalenka was asked about the importance of surpassing Swiatek in Major titles. “Well, I love the way we push each other. It's not like I'm thinking about her, about her amount of Grand Slams,” she said.

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"I'm more focusing on myself, just trying to push myself to the limit and see how far I can get in this sport. At the end of my career, I want to look back and be proud of myself. We'll talk about that at the end of my career.”

Having started the season ideally, Sabalenka is now headed to Melbourne to finalise her preparations for the Australian Open. She will be the top seed and could only meet Swiatek in a potential final. However, the Pole has struggled at the Australian Open, reaching only the fourth round in 2023 and the third round in 2024.

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