When it comes to the topic of [insert topic], there are a plethora of perspectives and opinions to consider. From [insert perspective] to [insert opposing perspective], the debates can be heated and complex. However, it is important to delve into the various arguments and weigh the evidence before coming to a conclusion. In this paragraph, we will explore [insert subtopic] and examine its implications.
The WTA Tour has finally got some competition at the top. World No. 1 Iga Swiatek stamped her authority on the courts of Roland Garros as she successfully defended the singles title at the 2023 French Open. With the win, she has now won three of the last four editions of the clay Major. Following her in the second spot is Aryna Sabalenka, the winner at the 2023 Australian Open.
The Belarusian made the semis in Paris as well but despite holding match point, she lost to eventual runner-up Karolina Muchova. The World No. 3 spot is occupied by Elena Rybakina, reigning champion at Wimbledon. The three women have shared the Major titles amongst themselves in the last four Major events. Along with consistent success on the Tour as well, they are being dubbed the ‘Big-3’ of the WTA Tour.
The Big-3 is a direct reference to the trio of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic, three of the greatest players ever. While the fans are certainly excited about a fierce battle on the WTA Tour after a long time, Swiatek is not much concerned about the discussion. She held no remorse to pop the balloon making a bold statement.
“I don’t really analyze that, because I know that this is something that kind of you guys created, and I understand that fans love that. You too. So I’m trying to just be focused on my work. And for me, there is no reason to do that. I look at my clay court season and I see on every tournament I really played consistently. I reached, you know, like quarter-finals, semi-finals, finals, I won Stuttgart, I won this tournament, I’m kind of just focused on myself and I don’t care about the other two players,” said the now four-time Major winner in her winner’s press conference in Paris.
Iga Swiatek justifies her stance on the Big-3
Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina, Aryna Sabalenka (Credits: Arab News)While Iga Swiatek certainly comes out as a very soft-spoken person, her hard-hitting statements were definitely eye-raising. The Pole however quickly explained her words before things went south for her.
“I can’t say like I have any deep relationship with them. We respect each other, and that’s all I would say. But on matches, honestly, I’m not really thinking about all the stuff that I’m doing off-court. I want to play the best game possible. Usually, when I think about, you know, the player like personally, it doesn’t help.
“So I just think what I have to do tactically against them, and that’s all. We don’t really have time on a match to overanalyze all the other stuff. I just try to play my game as best as possible. So I don’t really think about all the off-court stuff,” said Swiatek.
With the focus now shifting to the grass season that culminates at the Wimbledon Championships, Swiatek has a lot of work to do. She is yet to go past the fourth round at the All-England Club. Her historic 37-match streak last year was snapped in Wimbledon in the third round. The grass Major remains the only Slam where she is yet to make the second week. It will definitely be something that she will be keen on changing this year.
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