Iga Swiatek revealed that beating Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina is a never-ending puzzle that requires constant tinkering.
For the most part, Swiatek has been able to handle both of her main rivals on the WTA Tour. She’s a bit better against Sabalenka than Rybakina, who recently snapped her unbeaten streak at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.
Rybakina, funnily enough, struggles more with Sabalenka than Swiatek, while the Belarusian struggles with the world no. 1 player. Sabalenka and Swiatek will face off in the Madrid Open final, and the Polish player will need to prepare for it.
Despite generally beating Sabalenka, the top seed admitted that she always needs to think about these matchups. It’s not so much about how she needs to play because she has a plan for both players as it is about how to implement those plans during a match and execute how she’s supposed to.
“I wouldn’t say we’re trying to figure it out because we know how it should play, but it hasn’t been easy to implement at times. So I still feel like I haven’t played that match where you play better tactically from start to finish against these players.”
“That’s something I want to improve. It’s not that we need to change many things, but we do have to stick to the plan and sometimes I have to apply it a little better.”
She will get a chance to show her change in approach in the upcoming final against Sabalenka. The court in Madrid is about the last court where she’d like to play her, as the Belarusian has won the WTA 1000 event in the Spanish capital twice, including last year when she bested the Pole.
If she can turn it around and win the match, then that’s a clear sign of progress. After all, as a tennis player, she understands that work never stops because competition never stops. You need to evolve as a player; otherwise, you risk getting overrun.
