Sabalenka Hoping to Extend ‘Amazing’ Rivalry with Swiatek after Madrid Win

Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka holds the winner's trophy after defeating Iga Swiatek of Poland at the end of the women's final at the Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, May 6, 2023. (AP)
Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka holds the winner's trophy after defeating Iga Swiatek of Poland at the end of the women's final at the Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, May 6, 2023. (AP)
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Sabalenka Hoping to Extend ‘Amazing’ Rivalry with Swiatek after Madrid Win

Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka holds the winner's trophy after defeating Iga Swiatek of Poland at the end of the women's final at the Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, May 6, 2023. (AP)
Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka holds the winner's trophy after defeating Iga Swiatek of Poland at the end of the women's final at the Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, May 6, 2023. (AP)

Aryna Sabalenka beat world number one Iga Swiatek to win the Madrid Open in the pair's second clash in a final this year, with the Belarusian saying she hopes their burgeoning rivalry will continue to enthrall tennis fans throughout the season.

The world number two had lost all three previous meetings with Swiatek on clay, including a defeat in last month's Stuttgart final, but produced an aggressive performance on Saturday to win 6-3 3-6 6-3 and establish herself as a serious contender at the upcoming French Open.

Sabalenka had a 2-5 win-loss record against the Pole prior to Saturday's win, with four of those losses coming in 2022.

"She always pushes me to the limits. I'm really enjoying our battles. Hopefully we can play many more finals this season," Sabalenka told reporters.

"I would say that this year's 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.

"To have this win, especially on clay, that's something unbelievable. I'm really happy that I'm able to fight against her and get these wins so it's not super boring for people to watch our matches."

Asked if their rivalry could be beneficial for the sport, Sabalenka said, "I think women's tennis needs this kind of consistency, to see world number one and world number two in the finals.

"I think it's more enjoyable for fans to watch and it's more intense... I think when people see these kind of finals, it makes them want to see this battle. That's something amazing, and hopefully we can keep doing what we are doing this season."

The pair are next in action at the May 9-20 Italian Open in Rome, before travelling to Paris for the French Open, which begins on May 28.



Sinner Does Not Expect Easy Road on Return from Doping Ban

Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 21, 2024 Italy's Jannik Sinner celebrates after winning his fourth round match against Russia's Karen Khachanov. (Reuters)
Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 21, 2024 Italy's Jannik Sinner celebrates after winning his fourth round match against Russia's Karen Khachanov. (Reuters)
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Sinner Does Not Expect Easy Road on Return from Doping Ban

Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 21, 2024 Italy's Jannik Sinner celebrates after winning his fourth round match against Russia's Karen Khachanov. (Reuters)
Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 21, 2024 Italy's Jannik Sinner celebrates after winning his fourth round match against Russia's Karen Khachanov. (Reuters)

Jannik Sinner held onto his world number one ranking ahead of his return from a three-month doping ban, but the Italian does not expect his comeback to be as smooth when he takes to the court again at the Rome Masters next month.

Sinner has not played since winning the Australian Open at the start of the season and accepted a ban in February following a deal with the World Anti-Doping Agency, which had challenged a tribunal's decision to clear him after two positive tests.

The 23-year-old was allowed to return to training on April 13, and his suspension will end on May 4, before his competitive return at the Italian Open, which gets underway three days later.

Sinner, who spent time building fitness mindful of the French Open starting on May 25, was assured of retaining the top ranking for his home tournament after his closest challenger Alexander Zverev crashed to an early defeat in Monte Carlo.

"We're training very hard. Hopefully we'll get some momentum going again ahead of the clay season. It certainly won't be easy for me," Sinner told broadcaster ORF Sudtirol.

"The first games will be really difficult. But hopefully I'll be able to get back into the rhythm and then we'll see how it goes."

Sinner, who trained with Britain's world number six Jack Draper at the Tennis Club de Beaulieu in France recently, said there were plenty of positives from his enforced absence from the tour.

"I think at the beginning of the three months, it was quite nice," Sinner added.

"A bit of time away from all the grind, I spent time with family, with friends. I was doing new things and getting to know myself better, finding out where I stand.

"I think it helped me a lot."