Iga Swiatek won the Madrid Open last night and afterwards, she delivered her verdict on Aryna Sabalenka.
The Polish player was in fine form as she came through 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 to claim yet another title.
Swiatek has already won the French Open during her career but she looks in red hot form going into this year’s Roland Garros competition.
In fairness, Sabalenka has done unbelievably well too, bouncing back from losing her partner earlier this year.
After last night’s match, Swiatek had some really kind words about Sabalenka who she is clearly fond of.
Iga Swiatek raves about Aryna Sabalenka
Well, this was a pulsating final that in fairness, neither player deserved to lose.
It was Swiatek who won on this occasion but the two will have many more battles as the year progresses.
Clearly, the talented Polish performer is a fan of Sabalenka and after last night’s win, she paid tribute to her opponent.
She said on court: “Aryna…here’s to many more finals… It’s always a challenge playing you.
“Thank you for motivating me to be a better player. I want to thank my team. I’ve had pretty nice speeches before so I don’t know what else to say to make it feel special.”
Swiatek is going to take some stopping in 2024
It’s quite scary just how good the two-time Grand Slam champion is going to be as her career progresses.
The 22-year-old is now the world number one and has held that position since 2023.
Having won the French Open and the US Open, Swiatek will now have her sights on Wimbledon too this year.
Sabalenka is going to prove a tough nut to crack though having won the Australian Open to kick-start her year.
Still, this could be a big psychological win for Swiatek and she will now know what it takes to come out on top against the world number two.
Swiatek and Sabalenka will surely have a number of battles as the year continues and based on this final, it promises to be a fascinating rivalry.
At 22, the sky really is the limited for the Warsaw native and we’re excited to see what else she can achieve this year.
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