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Debate

Is Aryna Sabalenka the next Serena Williams, or is she carving her own unique path?

Whenever a young player begins to dominate any sport, the comparisons are made and sometimes to the sport’s GOAT. The case of tennis is no different. In recent times, we have seen the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner being compared with Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. And, these comparisons are there in the women’s circuit as well. Earlier this week, some renowned journalists highlighted how Serena Williams and Aryna Sabalenka share common traits.

Sabalenka had a stellar 2024 season in which she won the Australian Open and the US Open titles, apart from a host of other big titles. Additionally, she took the top spot in the WTA rankings from Iga Swiatek and ended the season as the World No. 1. As a result, many journalists feel that Sabalenka is gradually following the path of Williams and the two have a lot in common.

The Polish publication Sport.pl quoted an article from devdiscourse.com, “Sabalenka has climbed to the top, imitating Serena Williams’ dominance. She has triumphed in Grand Slam tournaments and earned the title of the world’s number one racket. She is known for her excellent game and refined mental strategy. And she continues to push the boundaries, despite the odds. What’s more, she demonstrates evolution and maturity not only on the court, but also off it.”

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USA Today via Reuters

Despite garnering immense success on the court this year, it wasn’t an easy year for Sabalenka off the court. Earlier this year, her ex-boyfriend passed away in tragic circumstances and it came as a major shock to Sabalenka. Nonetheless, she garnered the courage and came back strongly on the court. Not only did she have a great North American swing, where she won the US Open, she later carried the momentum to the Asian swing as well and finished at the top of the WTA rankings.

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But Sabalenka isn’t done yet. She is looking to follow in the footsteps of Serena after having one of the best seasons of her career.

Aryna Sabalenka looking to dominate the WTA Tour like Serena Williams

Back in her prime, Serena Williams gave hardly anything away to her opponents. She won tournament after tournament and her opponents had a hard time facing her on all kinds of surfaces. Looking to follow the path of Williams, Sabalenka is eyeing similar domination. Ahead of the WTA Finals, the Belarusian revealed her dreams to continue winning tournaments consistently.

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What’s your perspective on:

Is Aryna Sabalenka the next Serena Williams, or is she carving her own unique path?

Have an interesting take?

She said, “I always wanted to dominate the tour like Serena did, like Iga was able to do for so long. It’s really inspiring … but I’m trying to focus on myself, on improving myself, to make sure that I have all of the tools to dominate the tour as they did. Five years ago if someone told me I’ll finally learn how to do this shot, I’d be laughing. I don’t have touch. I’m so bad at it. Now I have this shot in my pocket. It brings a lot of pressure on opponents because now they know they have even more variation.”

Although Sabalenka lost in the semifinal of the WTA Finals and wasn’t able to end her season on a winning note, it was a great season for her overall and she now aims to win more tournaments next year. Can the Belarusian star achieve her dream of dominating like Serena? Let us know your views in the comments below.

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