Iga Swiatek enjoys a superior head-to-head against most of her prominent rivals
Every sport needs proper rivalries to keep the spectators captivated and interested. Arch-rivals force each other to improve on various aspects by constantly challenging them.
However, such is not the case in women’s tennis on clay at the moment. Swiatek leads the head-to-head with Sabalenka 8-3, and has won 11 of her 12 clashes with Gauff. Elena Rybakina is the only prominent rival of the Pole who leads her (4-2) in the head-to-head. In the last two years the pair have met on five occasions, with Rybakina winning four and losing one. One of those losses for Swiatek came via retirement as she was injured.
They have met only twice in the last 12 months, splitting their head-to-head 1-1. Even if Rybakina has the game to unsettle the World No. 1, their encounters are too few and far between to hold the attention of fans worldwide.
The Pole also leads Naomi Osaka 2-1 in their head-to-head. The duo might meet each other more frequently in the future, especially after the thriller they played at the French Open this year.
After losing the opening set, the four-time Grand Slam champion pushed Swiatek to her limits. The World No. 1 even saved a match point before securing victory from the jaws of defeat.
