The past half century of women’s tennis has produced some spectacular rivalries.
From 1973 to 1988, Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert were spirited competitors, with Navratilova emerging with a narrow 43-37 career head-to-head margin. Appropriately, both finished with 18 Grand Slam singles titles.
The Navratilova-Steffi Graf matchup produced a 9-9 deadlock. Then there was Graf and Monica Seles, with Graf prevailing 10-5. Serena Williams was 18-13 against older sister Venus -- 7-2 in Grand Slam singles finals. Kim Clijsters was better than her Belgian compatriot Justine Henin by a 13-12 count. Those matches, however, were played between 1998-2010.
Today’s game, with its depth and volatility, has yet to produce a classic rivalry -- until, perhaps, Saturday’s Mutua Madrid Open final. World No.2 Aryna Sabalenka defeated No.1 Iga Swiatek on the red clay in the Spanish capital to bring their head-to-head series to 5-3, with Swiatek maintaining a slim lead. With Sabalenka’s proven proficiency on all surfaces and the proximity of their ages -- Swiatek turns 22 at the end of May and Sabalenka celebrated her 25th birthday last Friday -- going forward, this could be fun.
How Swiatek's success fuels the tour's competitive spirit
“What she did last season and what she keeps doing, it really motivates me a lot to improve, to keep working hard,” Sabalenka said after beating Swiatek in an electrifying three-set match. “I would say that this year matches are completely different matches than it was last year. I improved a lot and I really want to win against her because she’s such a great player.”
Said Swiatek: “Me and Aryna, I feel like we’re just hard workers. I know that she’s super professional as well in terms of fitness and other stuff. 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.”
Based on previous results, you might see these two in a third consecutive final at this week’s Internazionali BNL D’Italia, a Hologic WTA Tour 1000 event. Swiatek is defending the title in Rome and beat Sabalenka in the 2022 semifinals.
With that dramatic backdrop, here are 10 questions for the 10 top seeds:
No. 1 Iga Swiatek: The leading question concerns sustainability for Swiatek after two straight clay finals. Can she win another title in Rome -- and still be ready for the same drill at Roland Garros? That’s a lot of tennis in a span of 52 days.
No.2 Aryna Sabalenka: Like Swiatek, Sabalenka has won nine of her 10 matches on clay and is positioned for a nice run in Rome. Roland Garros has proved elusive. In five previous outings in Paris, she’s never advanced past the third round. Can Sabalenka conserve enough energy in the coming weeks to break through at the French Open?
No.3 Jessica Pegula: The 2022 Madrid finalist has put together a nice clay resume this year, reaching the semifinals in Charleston and the quarterfinals in Madrid. Can she crack those barriers in Rome, where she lost to Sabalenka a year ago in the Round of 16?
No.4 Ons Jabeur: The last time we saw her was in the Stuttgart semifinals. After losing three games to Swiatek, Jabeur retired with a left calf injury. When healthy, Jabeur is lethal on clay. She won Madrid a year ago and Charleston back in early April. Has Jabeur recovered sufficiently to make a credible run in Rome?
No.5 Caroline Garcia: Certainly, Garcia’s aggressive game translates to clay. She was a winner last year in Warsaw. But this year, she’s 2-2 on clay after disappointing events in Stuttgart and Madrid. Can Garcia find the momentum in Italy to challenge her best result in Paris, the quarters in 2017?
No.6 Coco Gauff: The 19-year-old American reached the Madrid doubles final with partner Jessica Pegula, but they fell to Victoria Azarenka and Beatriz Haddad Maia. Gauff was less successful in singles, losing to Paula Badosa 6-3, 6-0 in her second match in Madrid. Gauff, who reached the finals at Roland Garros last year, won two of three matches a year ago in Rome. Is this where she dials in her defense and gets control of the forehand?
No. 7 Elena Rybakina: No one is suggesting clay is Rybakina’s best surface, but she’s shown some competence on the dirt. Last year, she won her first two matches in both Rome and Paris but comes in looking for a spark after losing her first match in Madrid to Anna Kalinskaya. Can Rybakina put aside thoughts of defending her Wimbledon title and focus on the present and the challenges of clay to her power game?
No.8 Daria Kasatkina: She’s a Top 10 player, but her record for 2023 is a so-so 10-11. This two-event stretch could be just what she needs, for Kasatkina can do damage on clay. She was a semifinalist in Charleston and won two matches before running into a red-hot Veronika Kudermetova in Madrid. A year ago, she was a semifinalist in both Rome and Paris -- her best major result of her career. Is it her time again on clay?
No.9 Maria Sakkari: She came through with a terrific victory over Paula Badosa before falling to eventual champion Sabalenka in the Madrid semifinals. A year ago, Sakkari reached the quarterfinals in Rome, so we know she can do this. In fact, 2021 Roland Garros, where she had match points on eventual champion Barbora Krejcikova, remains one of her two major semifinals. Like Sabalenka in Madrid, can Sakkari find the right blend of power and patience on the slower clay in Italy?
No.10 Barbora Krejcikova: She lost her second match in Stuttgart to Sabalenka, then fell to Petra Martic in the Round of 16 in Madrid. A year ago, Krejcikova, the 2021 Roland Garros winner, missed Madrid and Rome with an elbow injury. Can she create some positive energy on the slow red clay courts that suit her game?
