The rivalry between Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek is destined to continue in the coming years, with tennis players like Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina and the other top players ready to take advantage of their every trouble.
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But the rivalry between the Belarusian and the Polish is one that needs to be analyzed, because there are technical andstatistical aspects and details that need to be interpreted. It can't be just a coincidence that Iga Swiatek proves to be competitive mainly in clay-swing and at Roland Garros, struggling in the other Majors, where she hasn't reached a quarterfinal since 2022, when she won her only Major outside of clay-swing: the US Open.
Jimmy Connors and his son Brett, in one of the latest episodes of the Advantage Connors podcast, analyzed this aspect, underlining how Aryna is much more consistent than her rival on all surfaces. Jimmy also praised the sunny and friendly attitude of the Belarusian champion at Flushing Meadows.
"Last year, she lost that US Open final to Coco Gauff and then she went to Australia determined and just won her second Australian Open. She probably wanted to avenge the US Open again last year and kind of blew the court away again. So, she's more consistent than Iga. Also, Aryna is just nice, even if she doesn't win the match. She's funny, she doesn't take herself too seriously, she can laugh at herself. It seems like now she's OK when something goes against her, she's able to bounce back and make up for it," explained Connors.
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"I think Iga has won 5 Slams to Sabalenka's3, but Iga has won four at Roland Garros and one at the US Open in 2022 and I think she's only reached one Slam quarterfinal since 2022, other than RG," added his son Brett Connors.
