What to watch at the WTA San Diego Open 2023: Sakkari, Garcia, Krejcikova looking to bounce back
We preview the Cymbiotika San Diego Open 2023, looking at who’s favourite, who’s desperate, and who might be a dark horse at this WTA 500 event
Ons Jabeur Ningbo Open 2023 Zuma / Panoramic
For years, players on the WTA Tour have been complaining about how compact the tennis calendar is, with very few opportunities to rest across the 11 months of the season. Never is that more apparent than this week, with the Cymbiotika San Diego Open—a WTA 500 event—getting underway less than 48 hours after Coco Gauff raised the US Open trophy.
Ain’t no rest for the wicked, but for some players, they’ve already been sitting on the sidelines for a fortnight after early exits in New York, and are eager to get back out on the court to prove themselves.
With the likes of Maria Sakkari, Caroline Garcia and Barbora Krejcikova all extending their American summers in an attempt to make up for their first-round defeats at the US Open, there’s plenty to watch at the Cymbiotika San Diego Open this year.
Jabeur a strong favourite in San Diego
Heading into this WTA 500 event, there’s one clear favourite, and that’s Ons Jabeur.
Of late on the WTA Tour, all eyes have been on Coco Gauff, who has gone 18-1 across the American hard-court swing, and Aryna Sabalenka, who dethroned Iga Swiatek from her No 1 spot in the rankings and came oh-so-close to claiming another Grand Slam on the weekend.
But there’s one name that’s been quietly performing across the past two months, and that’s Jabeur.
While Jabeur will be disappointed with her round of 16 exit at the US Open, the Tunisian is still 11-3 across her past three events, making the final of Wimbledon, quarter-finals of Cincinnati and round of 16 at the US Open. Add in a title in Charleston earlier this year and quarter-final run at Roland-Garros, and the 29-year-old is 27-12 for the season, with only a couple of niggly injuries keeping her from moving back into the top five of the rankings.
Jabeur is rightfully the No 1 seed in San Diego, and is an excellent chance of picking up her second WTA 500 title of the season, considering her consistent performances week in, week out in 2023. In her quarter, she faces a potential quarter-final against Veronika Kudermetova, with Maria Sakkari or Belinda Bencic possible semi-final match ups.
Sakkari, Garcia and Krejcikova all have plenty to play for
Three women that haven’t been riding the same wave of form that Ons Jabeur has, are Maria Sakkari, Carolina Garcia and Barbora Krejcikova.
All three exited in the first-round of the US Open, despite being ranked well inside the world’s top 15. For Sakkari, ranked No 9, the loss was her third consecutive first round defeat in Grand Slams, having fallen in a similar fashion at Roland-Garros and Wimbledon as well. The Greek is 1-3 since losing to Coco Gauff in the final of the Mubadala Citi DC Open in early August, and would love a deep run here in San Diego to boost her confidence, and ranking.
Carolina Garcia is also in something of a rut right now, having lost five of her past seven matches since losing to Marie Bouzkova at Wimbledon for the second year in a row. The former world No 4 has only played once her in San Diego previously, losing last year in the first round to Danielle Collins. She’ll be hoping for a different result this time, as she’d seeded No 2 this year and faces either Sloane Stephens or Elise Mertens in her opening clash.
For Barbora Krejcikova, the world No 13 is looking to snap a four-match losing streak dating back to the grass of London. She’s yet to record a win in America this visit, losing in the opening rounds of Cincinnati, Cleveland and the US Open. Making her San Diego Open debut, she’ll face a potential quarter-final against Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad-Maia.
Could Sloane Stephens be a dark horse at the Cymbiotika San Diego Open?
On paper, Sloane Stephens hasn’t exactly lit the world on fire in 2023, with a record of 23-18 and her best result being a WTA 125 title in Saint Malo where her highest ranked opponent was No 124.
However, there are signs that the American is beginning to rekindle the form that saw her ranked as high as No 3 in 2019. She’s knocking on the door of the world’s top 30, and despite an unlucky three set loss to Beatriz Haddad-Maia in the first round of the US Open, has been recording some promising results. Sloane made the quarter-finals of Tennis in the Land, as well as duel round of 16 finishes across Montreal and Cincinnati before that.
With some good consistent time spent on court over the North American hard-court swing, a rested Sloane Stephens could be trouble at the Cymbiotika San Diego Open. The hard-courts suit her power game, and she’s dominated Carolina Garcia, her potential second-round opponent in their last few meetings. Win over the Frenchwomen again, and the draw could open up with a mercurial Jelena Ostapenko waiting in the quarter-finals potentially.
Despite the seemingly overloaded tennis calendar on the WTA Tour this year, a Ons Jabeur v Sloane Stephens final at the Cymbiotika San Diego Open would be a mouth-watering prospect, and one well worth looking out for this week.
