Madrid Open: Aryna Sabalenka Joins Iga Swiatek in Giving a Cold Shoulder to Coco Gauff as WTA Big 3 Debate Rages On

What comes after one and two? 99% of the people will say, it’s three. But for Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka, it’s all about 1,2 and 4! Shortly after her exit from the Stuttgart Open last month after losing to Elena Rybakina by 3-6,6-4,3-6, Swiatek made an interesting comment. She talked about the rivalries in women’s tennis and named the top three players in the WTA Tour. But surprisingly on her list, the current number 4, Elena Rybakina, leapfrogged the number 3, Coco Gauff! And now Aryna Sabalenka does exactly the same before facing Swiatek in the finals of the 2024 Madrid Open.

The Belarusian edged past Elena Rybakina in a thrilling three-setter to book a place in the finals of the tournament. She snatched victory from the jaws of defeat and here’s what she had to say after the match about the top three rivalries (according to her) in women’s tennis. “I like that they call us the Big3, I feel that somehow we are motivating each other. Sometimes we have a very bad time, but at the same time that helps us to improve and continue working harder and harder, looking for new things,” on partnering with Swiatek & Rybakina to make the “Big 3“.

She further went on to add, “Now I come from being out a few tournaments, so we’ll see how everything evolves, this has only been a specific tournament. Hopefully, the season will continue along this path and we will be the Big3 again.” Iga Swiatek currently leads her H2H record with Aryna Sabalenka by a 6-3 margin. But it was Aryna Sabalenka who had the last laugh in the finals of the Madrid Open last year. It’ll be interesting to see if the Belarusian can yet again upset the number one in Madrid.

Before heading into this high-voltage faceoff, Aryna Sabalenka said she believes it’s going to be a great final and she’s super excited to step onto the court on Saturday. Sabalenka pledged that she would do everything to win yet another title in Madrid. She had Coco Gauff breathing down her neck for the number 2 spot before entering into this tournament. But Sabalenka’s performance in the semis has now given her an edge over the American. However, fans still wonder what made Iga Swiatek snub Coco Gauff in her top three list.

Is Coco Gauff mispronouncing Iga Swiatek’s name the real reason behind this snub?

Iga Swiatek is far away from the reach of the world number 3 at the moment. However, last year during the WTA Finals in Cancun, Coco Gauff was caught a bit off-guard while pronouncing Iga Swiatek’s name. She wanted to reveal that the Polish tennis star was her travel buddy. But later on, her slip of the tongue landed her in major trouble. Tennis fans were not happy with this incident, and they stated that Gauff must have come across Iga Swiatek’s name several times on the court. Yet how can she not pronounce it correctly?

Did Iga Swiatek snub Coco Gauff for this reason? Perhaps not! But during a press conference in Stuttgart, Swiatek said, “I just think, you know, honestly, probably me, Aryna, and her [Elena Rybakina] are the best players on tour, honestly.“ All three of them are top-class players, but fans are still wondering what made them exclude Gauff on both occasions. Any guesses?