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via Imago

via Imago

Iga Swiatek has been in the limelight for all the wrong reasons in the last few months. She struggled with her form in the later phases of the season. Amid all these things, in November, news came out about her testing positive for a banned substance (TMZ). After that, Swiatek has been receiving quite a few backlashes from the fans as well as some of the fellow tennis players like Simona Halep and Nick Kyrgios. However, recently, the current world number one, Aryna Sabalenka, was seen taking a different route from those players. Sabalenka refrained from saying much, noting that people often jump to conclusions too early. Now, she was also spotted in a single frame with Swiatek!

Both the players are currently taking part in the World Tennis League. Aryna Sabalenka is representing Team Hawks, while Iga Swiatek is a part of the Team Eagles. Recently, they were also spotted hugging each other after a doubles match at the tournament. After that, Aryna Sabalenka shared a picture on her IG stories and in that picture, she was spotted hitting the ground with the Pole. They looked quite happy after the practice session and Aryna Sabalenka captioned that post with, “Great practice with @iga.swiatek.”

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Throughout the years, they put in all the hard work to surpass each other and these moments of love and support between them are truly a bliss to watch for all tennis fans. What did Sabalenka say, though, on Iga Swiatek’s doping controversy? Well, during a recent interview with The National, Sabalenka refused to criticize the Pole and simply said, “People are really used to overreacting before figuring stuff out, so I don’t want to leave any comments. I believe in clean sport and nothing else I can add.”

With the 2025 season knocking at the doors, both of these tennis stars will be keen to make a good start to their campaign. Aryna Sabalenka will begin her 2025 season at Brisbane International, while Iga Swiatek is expected to start her season at the 2025 AO. Sabalenka will enter the 2025 season with a 1,121-point lead over the Pole in the WTA Rankings. What does the ‘Tigress’ think about retaining that crown in the upcoming year?

You cannot be confident on that. It’s a mental thing. Of course, I’d like to stay there as long as possible and I’m working really hard for that, so let’s see how next season is going to be,” said Sabalenka. What do tennis experts think about their chances in the 2025 season, though?

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Former world number one isn’t too optimistic about Iga Swiatek’s chances in 2025

What’s your perspective on:

Can Swiatek bounce back from controversy, or will Sabalenka dominate the 2025 tennis season?

Have an interesting take?

Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek, together, won 3 out of 4 Grand Slam tournaments in the 2024 season. Both these players have time and again revealed how they always try to push each other to become two of the best in the tennis world. Take for example, during the on-court interview in Madrid this year we saw Iga Swiatek say, “Aryna.. to many more finals.. it’s always a challenge playing you. Thanks for motivating me and forcing me to be a better player.” For those who are unaware, the final match between Swiatek and Sabalenka at the Madrid Open was recently declared as the ‘Match of The Year’ by the WTA.

Despite these intense battles, they enjoy their rivalry to the fullest, and even Aryna Sabalenka once admitted, “I think that’s amazing the rivalry we are having with Iga. She definitely motivates me a lot to get better, and I think I improve so many things just because of her.” Both of them have now become two of the biggest stars in women’s tennis, but what is the main difference in their playing styles?

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According to British tennis icon Jodie Burrage, Aryna Sabalenka is an extremely complete player, which is quite evident from her number-one ranking. On the other hand, Burrage feels Iga Swiatek possesses a “scary” factor that can intimidate opponents, often leading to one-sided matches. This year we saw Iga Swiatek clinching the French Open, while Aryna Sabalenka won the AO and the US Open. However, considering the overall number of major titles, Swiatek (5) is slightly ahead of the Belarusian (3) at the moment.

Talking about their chances in 2025, recently Dinara Safina was spotted picking winners for every major tournament in the 2025 season. She said, “Australia — Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka. Roland Garros — Alexander Zverev and let’s say Karolina Muchova. I think Iga Świątek will not win the Grand Slam on clay next season. Wimbledon — Carlos Alcaraz and Elena Rybakina. US Open — Danil Medvedev and Sabalenka again.” Do you agree with Safina’s pick, though?

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Can Swiatek bounce back from controversy, or will Sabalenka dominate the 2025 tennis season?