Iga Swiatek Debunks Myth Surrounding Aryna Sabalenka’s Hard-Court Dominance With a Bold Reality Check

Clash of Titans in Cincinnati! Iga Swiatek is all set to face her familiar rival, Aryna Sabalenka in the SF of the Cincinnati Masters. This will be their third meeting this season, but the first meeting on the hard courts. Talking about hard courts, we all know Sabalenka is a completely different player on this surface, quite similar to Swiatek on clay. However, surprisingly, both of these tennis stars have won an equal number of titles on the hard courts (12). What does Swiatek think of this general perception in the tennis world?

After securing her spot in the semis, during the post-match interview, Swiatek was asked whether she counts herself the favorite on the hardcourts and whether it surprises her that people are putting Sabalenka over her as the favorite. In reply, she said, “No, it doesn’t surprise me but I think people just tend to focus on our biggest results like grand slams and they forget about other stuff.” Currently, the H2H between the two players is at 8-3 in favor of the Polish tennis star.

“Honestly I think we’re playing great on both clay and hardcourts and she’s playing great on grass. I’m not playing great on grass. So honestly, I think it’s just like a little mistake the people make in their brains when they think about us,” Swiatek further went on to add. However, the Pole is not bothered about this perception, as she herself admitted that some surfaces might suit Sabalenka better and some might in turn work in her favor.

However, this isn’t the first time that Swiatek has been asked about this. Just a few months ago, a reporter asked her to share her thoughts on why she is more dominant on clay courts than any other surface when all the surfaces play quite similarly these days. Swiatek was a bit surprised to hear that remark, as she asked the journalist if they really think all the surfaces play the same these days. “Have you played on each of these surfaces?” Swiatek asked the journalist.