Elena Rybakina has shared her thoughts on
Iga Swiatek, calling her a "really tough opponent."
The 2022 Wimbledon champion has played against the World No. 2 four times in the past and currently boasts a 3-1 lead in their head-to-head. Their most recent clash was at the 2023 Rome Open, where Swiatek retired after losing the second set on a tiebreak.
Since then, both players have experienced highs and lows on the WTA Tour. Swiatek went on to win her fourth Grand Slam title at the 2023 French Open but had a more difficult time at the US Open, where she failed to defend her title after crashing out of her fourth-round match against Jelena Ostapenko. This also saw her lose the top spot in the WTA Ranking as Aryna Sabalenka took over World No. 1.
Rybakina praises Swiatek's consistency
However, despite some difficulties, the Polish player has still had a consistently successful season overall. Most recently, she won her fifth WTA title of the year at the WTA 1000 China Open in Beijing, defeating Liudmila Samsonova in the final 6-2, 6-2.
In a recent interview with Tennis Channel, World No. 5 Rybakina praised Swiatek's talent and consistency, saying that she finds the 22-year-old to be a tough opponent.
"She’s a really tough opponent. I know every point is going to be difficult because she’s fighting and running a lot. She’s so consistent throughout the year. Last year and even now I think it was great results. Just a tough opponent," the Kazakhstani player said.
These comments come after Coco Gauff's praise of Swiatek following criticism of the latter's season in comparison to her dominance last year.
"I mean, I've seen some of the comments people are saying like she had not a good season. I mean, she won a Grand Slam and was #1 forever. I'm like, I would dream to have the season like she had this year," she said.
