Coco Gauff Brutally Snubbed for Elena Rybakina in Iga Swiatek’s Harsh Judgement Despite WTA Ranking Superiority

Following a heartbreaking defeat against Elena Rybakina, Iga Swiatek’s recent comments have stirred the WTA waters. During a candid interview, she revealed why she doesn’t consider her loss to be of great concern. Although Swiatek justified her reason by citing examples of the top players on the WTA tour, she did not consider Coco Gauff in her top list.

The World No. 1’s pursuit of her third consecutive title at the Stuttgart Open came to an end on Saturday. Although it was a closely-fought match, it ended in favor of her opponent, Rybakina. And with this, the head-to-head score now extends to Rybakina, who has a 4-2 lead over Swiatek. However, Iga Swiatek’s candid remarks after the match included the top 4 in the WTA rankings as among some of the best players but excluded World No. 3.

During a press conference, Iga Swiatek declared, “I just think, you know, honestly, probably me, Aryna, and her are the best players on tour, honestly.” Elena Rybakina, who missed her Indian Wells title owing to her injury, also reached the final of the Miami Open earlier this year. And Aryna Sabalenka, who won her second Grand Slam title earlier this year at the Australian Open, also made it onto the list of Swiatek’s top players. Although she has yet to win another title in the season, her performance has made a distinctive mark this year.

Continuing her statement, Iga Swiatek could not point out one specific trick of Rybakina that she finds difficult. But she acknowledged her exceptional performance and said, “She had struggles with some injuries, but every time she’s healthy, she is playing well.”

However, among her top players list was missing one important name from the tennis world. Coco Gauff, who is currently ranked above the 24-year-old Rybakina, did not receive a mention in her list. Gauff reached the quarterfinals of the Stuttgart Open but ultimately lost to Marta Kostyuk. But it did not seem enough for Swiatek to label her as one of the best players.

Although the Polish player herself did not make it to the finals, she acknowledged the fact that she is not someone who gives up.

“I’m always trying to find solutions,” says Iga Swiatek after her Stuttgart Open defeat

Earlier this year, Iga Swiatek played against Rybakina and won her third consecutive Qatar Open title. Referring to the tough game that her opponent always puts in front of her, Swiatek said that although it had the same level of difficulty as her previous final match with her, she could not level up to her during the third set. However, Swiatek is not the one to give up, “I mean, I’m always trying to find solutions. You know, I’m not kind of giving up. But still, it wasn’t enough to win the whole match.”

Although Iga Swiatek’s remarks have brought attention to specific players, the WTA circuit is full of talented players who can step up to the game at any given tournament. It will be fascinating to watch how these players use their on-court skills to further mold the story of women’s tennis as the season goes on.