‘I don't want to be forgotten’: Krejcikova's case for a Big Four

MIAMI -- Barbora Krejcikova has heard all the whispers about the emergence of a new "Big Three" on the Hologic WTA Tour. 

Yes, Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka has been the 2023 front-runner. 

Yes, Indian Wells champion Elena Rybakina has contested two of the biggest finals of the season.

Yes, World No.1 Iga Swiatek has showed she isn't planning to come crashing down anytime soon. 

But Krejcikova contends she deserves to be in the conversation as well. She is the one who handed Sabalenka her first loss of the season. She is the one who defeated Swiatek in the final of the first WTA 1000 of the season to win Dubai. Of the three biggest titles of the season so far, she owns one of them. 

"When I read something on social media, it's about Iga, Aryna, and Elena -- I'm not really there," Krejcikova told WTA Insider after her win over Madison Keys in the third round of the Miami Open. 

"What else should I do? How should I prove it again? 

"This week, again I'm here and I'm going to prove it again so that I get into this Top 3. I want to be mentioned as well. I want to be recognized as well because I think I deserve it. I've had a lot of success on the tour and I just don't get the credit."

Krejcikova has a point. Since the start of 2020, only Swiatek (12) and Sabalenka (seven) have won more titles than the Czech's six. In Dubai, she became the fifth player in WTA history to defeat the reigning Top 3 in a single tournament. Swiatek has lost only two tournament finals since 2019. Both those losses came to Krejcikova. 

Champions Corner: Inside Krejcikova's run to the Dubai title 

If Krejcikova feels slighted, she's using it as fuel this week in Miami. 

"I feel like I deserve the recognition from the media and I'm not getting it,"  Krejcikova said. "I guess I just have to win more matches and prove to everybody that I'm there as well."

On Monday, Krejcikova will face Sabalenka for the third straight WTA 1000 tournament. Krejcikova won in the Dubai quarterfinals, but Sabalenka bounced back at Indian Wells to get one back. Sabalenka leads their head-to-head series 3-1, but three of their four matches have gone to a decider.

"I'm very excited," Krejcikova said. "She's on top of the game right now. She's the last Slam champion. Her tennis is really interesting and I like to play against her because her shots are one of the fastest ones and the same with her serve and return. She's very aggressive. 

"It's a really nice opportunity to play because I feel that my tennis is also improving and I feel like I have a big shot, a big chance against her."

For her part, Sabalenka says she's looking forward to locking horns with Krejcikova again. She backs the Czech's inclusion in the conversation regarding the tour's breakaway pack.

"I was thinking the same, why everyone is saying it's three of us? No, it's four of us," Sabalenka said. "She's doing really well and playing really consistently. 

"It's four of us, I would say. I really want to see it keep going. I think we're all going to do what we can to keep it going."