Swiatek v Sabalenka: Match-up, stats, track record, everything you need to know – updated after Cincinnati semis

It’s the rivalry that women’s tennis has been waiting for. Iga Swiatek, the dominant world No 1 for more than 100 weeks since taking the top slot from the retired Ash Barty, has a new challenge facing her from Aryna Sabalenka – who moved to the top of the rankings after the 2023 US Open, before Swiatek wrestled the top spot back from the Belarusian in the last match of the season. This particular match-up could present us with plenty of classics for years to come.

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The pair have played 12 times so far, with the Pole taking an 8-4 lead in the head-to-head.

The Rome final in May 2024 was their fourth clash in a tournament final – all coming in the last 17 months. Swiatek won in Stuttgart in 2023; Sabalenka gained revenge in Madrid last year before Swiatek came out on top in the 2024 Madrid Open final and again in Rome.

Their clash in the Madrid and Rome finals marks the first time since 2000 that the world’s top-two ranked players have met twice in a two-week span – the last time being when Martina Hingis and Lindsay Davenport played in the 2000 Indian Wells & Miami finals.

They most recently faced each other in the Cincinnati semis, where Sabalenka cruised 6-3, 6-3.

HEAD TO HEAD RECORD: SWIATEK 8-4

• 2021 WTA Finals, first round: Sabalenka wins 2-6, 6-2, 7-5
• 2022 Doha, quarter-final: Swiatek wins 6-2, 6-3
• 2022 Stuttgart, final: Swiatek wins 6-2, 6-2
• 2022 Rome, semi-final: Swiatek wins 6-2, 6-1
• 2022 US Open, semi-final: Swiatek wins 3-6, 6-1, 6-4
• 2022 WTA Finals, semi-final: Sabalenka wins 6-2, 2-6, 6-1
• 2023 Stuttgart, final: Swiatek wins 6-3, 6-4
• 2023 Madrid, final: Sabalenka wins 6-3, 3-6, 6-3
• 2023 WTA Finals, semi-finals: Swiatek wins 6-3, 6-2
• 2024 Madrid, final: Swiatek wins 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (7)
• 2024 Rome, final: Swiatek wins 6-2, 6-3
• 2024 Cincinnati, semi-final: Sabalenka wins 6-3, 6-3
  

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Who has won the most titles?

Swiatek has won 22 career WTA singles titles, Sabalenka 14. The Pole has won five Grand Slams compared to her rival’s two – so far.

Swiatek:

What do Swiatek and Sabalenka think about each other?

The pair have both spoken about their respect for each other.

After the Madrid final in May 2023, Sabalenka said: “I definitely respect her a lot. She’s a great player, and what she did last season and what she’s keep doing, it’s really motivate me a lot to improve, to keep working hard, to, yeah, to keep fighting. I know that it’s always battles against her. It’s always really great matches.”

She added: “I improved a lot, and I really want to win against her, because she’s such a great player.”

For her part, Swiatek said: “Me and Aryna, I feel like we just, we’re just hard workers. I know that she’s super professional as well in terms of, you know, fitness and other stuff, and we’re kind of progressing no matter if we’re on top or not, so I think that’s why we are kind of solid.”

After their classic Madrid final in 2024, Sabalenka said she would like to play more finals against Swiatek and hopefully improve her record against the Pole.”:I really want to see many more finals against her. I want to see more wins than losses (smiling). But I really hope that we’ll be able to keep the level or increase the level every year and just to be one of those three, that’s amazing, and I’m really happy to be one of these Big 3, you call us (smiling).”

Swiatek for her part acknowledged that she found it tough keeping up with the intensity and aggression of Sabalenka in Madrid this time around.

 “I think the intensity overall, you know, Aryna is a really intense player, and when it’s going in, you play a lot of rallies in defense. That was, for sure, a challenge today. But I think it was more about who’s going to be less stressed and who’s going to be able to play with more freedom. I think actually for most of the match, she played more, like I felt like some decisions were pretty how to say it, like, courageous. I was sometimes a little bit back. So at the end, I just wanted to not do that and to also be courageous.”

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