Belarusian Tennis Beauty Aryna Sabalenka’s Showdown With Iga Swiatek at Stuttgart Creates Mind-Boggling WTA Record Ft. Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, Caroline Wozniacki, and Simona Halep

The WTA World No. 1 Iga Swiatek once again proved why she is atop the rankings when she defeated Aryna Sabalenka in the Stuttgart Open final. Going into the final, fans expected a tight contest between Swiatek and Sabalenka, the current World No. 2. However, Swiatek dominated the Belarusian from start to finish and went on to win the final in straight sets.

The clash of the two heavyweights in women’s tennis also happened to be the first time in over 5 years that the World No. 1 and the World No. 2 faced off in a WTA Tour final. Last time around, it was a Danish diva who clashed against a Romanian superstar in the land Down Under.

Iga Swiatek seals Stuttgart title and ensures recent history is not repeated

Swiatek arrived in Stuttgart after recovering from a rib injury, and she was somewhat lucky to reach the final following Ons Jabeur’s sudden calf injury in the semifinal. Initially, it was an even contest. However, the Pole eventually pulled away from the Belarusian and won the first set 6-3.

The second set also got off to a flying start for Swiatek as she broke Sabalenka’s serve. Ultimately, it proved telling as Swiatek won the set 6-4 and clinched her second consecutive Stuttgart Open title. For Swiatek, winning the Stuttgart Open is sure to give her plenty of confidence as the clock ticks on towards the 2023 French Open, which she will be hoping to retain.

An Instagram post revealed that the 2018 Australian Open final was the last time the World No. 1 faced the World No. 2 in a WTA Tour final. At the time, Romanian Simona Halep was the World No. 1 while the Dane Caroline Wozniacki happened to be the World No. 2. Halep was the favorite, but against all odds, Wozniacki emerged victorious and replaced the Romanian at the top of the WTA rankings.

Read More: ‘Not Going to Surprise Me’ – Aryna Sabalenka Gears Up for Iga Swiatek Challenge After Thrashing Good Friend Paula Badosa at WTA Stuttgart Open

Before Halep and Wozniacki, there were Serena and Sharapova

The last time the World No. 1 won against the World No. 2 in a WTA tour final prior to Swiatek’s Stuttgart success, American legend Serena Williams met Russian icon Maria Sharapova in the 2015 Australian Open final. On that particular occasion, it was Serena who came out on top.

Serena dominated Sharapova in the first set and won it 6-3. However, Sharapova showed glimpses of her quality in the second set, which went to a tiebreaker. Unfortunately for Sharapova, Serena won the tiebreaker along with her 19th Grand Slam title at the time.

Do you think Swiatek and Sabalenka can emulate the Serena-Sharapova rivalry on the WTA Tour? Let us know in the comments.

Watch This Story: Serena Williams’ Husband Alexis Ohanian Hit With Emotional Reality Over Daughter Olympia