It’s not Swiatek’s fault that Sabalenka has closed the gap so rapidly. The Pole has played great tennis in 2023, even if she isn’t slicing the same type of torrid path through the draw that she did in 2022, when she was in the midst of a 37-match winning streak as she tore to her second career Roland-Garros title.
She’s aware of that fact, and eager to rise to the challenge of her rivals over the upcoming fortnight.
“It is an extra motivation, for sure,” Swiatek said on Friday.
The Pole also declared that she likes having other players push her on tour because it engages her and helps her raise her level as well.
“Totally different situation than last year,” she said. “It’s nice to have somebody constantly kind of watching you. We played so many matches against each other that tactically we know [each other’s] game pretty well.”
Swiatek likes the idea of using the challenge from Sabalenka, and also from Elena Rybakina, as opportunities to work on her problem solving.
“We also have to kind of come up with some different solutions sometimes, which is pretty exciting, because I never had that yet in my career,” she said. “I think this is what the big three had to do for sure when they played like, I don’t know, 30 matches against each other or even more.
“So I’m happy to learn some new stuff. And also, for sure, you know, we are all working really hard to kind of play better and better.”
With the No.1 ranking in play, and Swiatek’s rivals so switched on, this year’s Parisian fortnight promised to be more hotly contested than the last. It will make the spoils that much sweeter for whichever player emerges victorious.
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