Aryna Sabalenka is not the most popular player on the WTA Tour, especially among Polish fans, but Iga Swiatek thinks it’s just a difference in popularity.
Of course, Sabalenka will never be as popular as Swiatek in Poland. Various factors are at play here, but Swiatek being Polish is the major one. The Belarusian has generally been a well-received player with her personality and tennis style but has gotten a lot of negative publicity in the two years since the war in Ukraine started.
We won’t be going into whether it’s justified or not, but Swiatek and Sabalenka genuinely seem to have a good relationship. There was never any animosity among the players, which she confirmed in a recent interview for Rzeczpospolita.
I see that Poles don’t really like her. We simply have two completely different personalities colliding. From here you can see the contrast. I wouldn’t say I’m a good character and she’s a bad one, because that puts her in a negative light. We are just different.
Having different characters on Tour is vital for entertainment purposes. On one hand, we have Swiatek, who is quite reserved and shy, but a monster on the court, while on the other we have Sabalenka, who is very bubbly outside of the court but serious on the court.
In the end, they’re both great players with a lot of respect for each other.
I don’t want to be one of those people who judges. I know what life is like on the Internet and I don’t want to contribute to hatred towards anyone. First of all, we have great respect for each other and are kind to each other.
The rivalry is one that will carry tennis for many years to come, and it’s been very exciting so far. It’s not one-sided, as both have wins, though Swiatek does seem ahead for now.
This website aggregates and curates news articles, blog posts, and other content from a variety of external sources. While we aim to link back to the original source, this site does not own or claim ownership of any articles, posts, or other content indexed on this site. The views, opinions, and factual statements expressed in each piece of aggregated content belong solely to its respective author and publisher. We make no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy or completeness of aggregated content. Visitors are advised to verify facts and claims through the original source before reuse or redistribution.
