"We are something WTA has been missing for a while" - Iga Swiatek makes her feelings known about exciting rivalry with Aryna Sabalenka

Iga Swiatek has shared her thoughts on her rival Aryna Sabalenka and what their rivalry means for women's tennis. The two women are in Doha gearing up for the first WTA 1000 event of the year, the Qatar Open.

While they may be the top two tennis players in the world, the two share a great camaraderie off the court as evidenced by their photoshoot, where they made some quirky poses beside the desirable Qatar Open trophy. The 23-year-old was asked to give her thoughts on Sabalenka during a recent interaction.

"What do I think about Aryna? That's a tough one (laughs). I'll be diplomatic. No, I'm kidding. It's nice to have such a great athlete as an opponent. We're both pushing each other and we're both creating some great entertainment sometimes when we're playing against each other," Iga Swiatek said.

In 12 meetings, Swiatek has won eight times against the World No. 1 who dethroned her late last year. She leads 5-1 on clay, while both have three wins on hard courts.

"I think we are something WTA has been kind of missing for a while because we have this great rivalry, and the fans are excited every time they see both of us. I think it's great that we play tennis so well and just push each other, and that's really helpful, for sure, in anybody's career to have an opponent like that," she added.

Swiatek also shared some words of appreciation for the Belarusian player's team.

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"Aryna Sabalenka's team is one of the most professional I've seen on tour" - Iga Swiatek

Aryna Sabalenka (L) and Iga Swiatek - Source: Getty

When asked about her thoughts on Aryna Sabalenka's team in the above interaction, Iga Swiatek said they were highly professional and she was happy both of them were blessed with a great team, which helped them improve consistently. The Belarusian player's team consists of coach Anton Dubrov, physical trainer Jason Stacy, and hitting partner Andrei Vasilevski.

"Well, I think Aryna's team is one of the most professional I've seen on tour. They're kinda taking care of everything, similar to me, I would say. I think because of the people we have around, we both can really progress and really become great athletes and without them, for sure, it would be much tougher because we need professional people and people with knowledge to guide us sometimes and show us what is right or wrong.

So, I think Aryna's team is doing that really well, and they are, I think, supporting her in any situation, so I think any tennis player needs that. So I am happy we both have this," Swiatek said.

Swiatek, the second seed, and Sabalenka, the top seed, have received a bye into the second round of the 2025 Qatar Open. While the Pole awaits Maria Sakkari or Elena-Gabriela Ruse, the Belarusian will face Emma Raducanu or Ekaterina Alexandrova.