Iga Swiatek vs Aryna Sabalenka: Has Tennis Finally Found a Rivalry of Martina Navratilova vs Chris Evert’s Stature?

The fans are eagerly waiting to witness the final showdown at the Madrid Open. Iga Swiatek, who defeated Madison Keys in her last match, is set to face Aryna Sabalenka in the finals, making the show worth every penny. However, besides being a coincidence that they’re set to face each other for the third time in a final match, the rivalry between the WTA world no.1 and no.2 is leading to fill-the-blank space of the rivalry between Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert.

Just as Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova once captivated the attention of audiences with their epic battles, Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek are moving forward on their respective journeys to build another line of rivalry for the current era.

Looking at the history of their showdowns, Swiatek and Sabalenka have faced each other a total of nine times. Their upcoming final match at the Madrid Open marks the third time they meet on clay courts as the top two players in the world, with the last two finals played back in 2023 at the Madrid Open and in Stuttgart.

This brings their rivalry quite close to the one shared between Evert and Navratilova, who faced each other a total of 80 times in their careers, with 60 of those encounters unfolding in tournament finals. However, looking at the matches played while holding the topmost WTA rankings, both of them hit a number of four, making their rivalry one of the most fierce ones in the history of the sport.

As Swiatek and Sabalenka prepare to renew their rivalry once again, it still remains to be seen who attains glory. However, it is still evident that they are moving their line closer to that of the WTA legends that once ruled the courts.

Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek set to recreate Madrid Open 2023 intensity

Besides the fact that Aryna Sabalenka is set to face Iga Swiatek in the 2024 Madrid Open finals, last year’s version of the event saw a similar situation. Both the players, holding the same ranks, battled against each other for the valuable clay court title and therefore added the day to the history books.

Sabalenka, who appeared to be dominant right from the start, managed to serve her opponent with a defeat, ending up earning the title with a final scoreline of 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. This was the second time they played a finals match against each other with the topmost ranks. As they are looking forward to the third showdown with a similar setup, it still remains to be seen if Sabalenka will be able to defend the title or will her rival manage to sweep it this time.