[Malacogary]

I hope we're seeing the emergence of three proper talents who are capable of pushing each other in all of the slams. Sabalenka, Rybakina and Swiatek. Should this happen the WTA would be compelling for the next few years, rather than just grimly fascinating as it's been since 2017.

 

[Break My Rapture]

Not really surprised to hear she supposedly had a rib problem during this match. I feel like the technique on her groundstrokes requires overexertion from her upper body

 

[luke75]

I feel that it is the natural way of being number one

1. Tennis players start studying more your game, know more your weakness and try to capitalize on it (i.e. second serve)
2. Tennis players are much more motivated, focused to win against you. They have nothing to lose

Some years I remember how Serena was getting frustrated of facing many times opponents "at the top of their game", and she was simple the victim of the same dynamic

This is the positive aspect of the sport which will force the players to evolve , even the number one

 

[PLP]

The comparison to Hingis is solid although unlike Hingis Iga has a more imposing game so she's not gonna get swept away . But Iga definitely took advantage of a void

I don't completely agree that Iga has a more imposing game, but I do agree with the overall comparison.
What's happening to Iga right now is reminding me of what happened to Martina after the AO in 1998. There were so many players that had bigger serves and more power and they were all coming up, or were already slam champs that could beat her. She lost a lot of finals and semis. She looked amazing at RG and barely was losing games until she was beaten soundly by a very inspired Seles in the semis. Iga isn't a problem solver like Martina was, it's obvious she has to add layers to her game, not panic after she has lost a set, and do smth about the serve.

Also, if Hingis was a transitional champion(which again I don't agree with this premise), than what is Iga? The #1 abruptly retired(Barty) and left a big gap, unlike in 1997 when all the top players were still playing(ASV,Pierce,Seles,Martinez,etc,) Steffi was out for injury much of the year but she wasn't retired and cameback strong in 98/99.

 

[Kzm]

Not really surprised to hear she supposedly had a rib problem during this match. I feel like the technique on her groundstrokes requires overexertion from her upper body

I knew it, Iga is still unbeaten when healthy, just like Nadal!

 

[Tomma17]

Well that serve is pretty average at best... That's why I don't see her dominating like Barty unless she improves it.

Is this a joke statement ?

 

[wolf79]

well. since hindratek basically is a one trick pony without a plan B to Z (read: topspinbotting her enemies to death if they are not able to handle it) it's no surprise tall power hitters with good serve like ryba are able to clobber the living shit out of the polish hack. ryba's 6-0 in sets in the last 3 encounters for a reason after all.

 

[Tomma17]

I would say to wait a little before saying Swiatek filled a gap. She won 37 in a row and 3 majors at age 21
If she doesnt get #4 by 2025 French Open, then maybe. But the idea that you have REPEAT at IW to prove yourself, that is ridiculous

You keep harping on about the IW thing. First, Indian Wells IS a huge event and winning it repeatedly is a massive accomplishment. Secondly, the issue isn’t about her failing to “win an event she’s already won just to prove something”…..it’s about the manner in which she keeps losing. She’s offering very little resistance in these losses and can barely even make them competitive. And it’s almost every single loss at this point. THAT is a problem.

So if she was “problem solving” she’d be winning every match and would currently be on another streak?

That’s not at all what I said. If she was problem solving she wouldn’t be getting blasted off the court, barely winning games. That shouldn’t be happening, every time, to the very best player in the entire world.

No one wins every match, but she shouldn’t be struggling to even make these matches competitive.

 

[goldenlox]

Iga says she has an injury. Even if she does not, everyone has a bad day. She won 9 of 10 coming in, the other loss to Krejcikova
Thats not bad, and its only people comparing it to 37 in a row. I want to see Miami because she lost the fewest games of any Miami Champion for 20 years, so lets see that draw, and then clay
We dont even know if Rybakina will be relevant this clay season. She almost lost to Muchova, who did some choking on big winnable points
Sabalenka was in a tough match with Krejcikova
I wouldnt be surprised if Babs is Iga's big obstacle in Paris
I've seen great players when the competition got tougher, like Serena when Justine got good. Justine beat her all year in 2007. It happens and the greats keep their level high and battle over the years

 

[KardedKing]

The girls really just needed to step up their returning. There is no reason why someone with a serve like Iga's should be winning 30+ matches in a row. I know her groundstrokes are great, but it is ridiculous that there are so few women on the WTA tour who know how to punish a weak serve. If the girls step their returning up, Iga's dominance will fade, unless her serve evolves.

Serena never did have a bad match-up. Henin was maybe the only true complete player to be able to beat a well playing Serena - like she did at the Berlin 2002 Final, FO SF 2003 and USO QF 2007. The others had no chances. Serena whe she was losing was especially playing way below her level, it's the truth.

Serena-Henin could have been a WTA Fedal rivalry. Sadly, it never happened. And since the retirement of Henin in 2008, Serena harvested the rotten corpse of the WTA. Serena waited her terminal decline to be passed out, while Djokovic and Nadal dethroned (and surpassed) Federer by themselves

I am sorry, but I cannot sit and let the revisionist history of Unjustine Henin go unanswered. That cheating midget was only ever competitive against Serena on clay and in 2007, one of the worst years of Serena's career. She literally cheated in the semifinal of Roland Garros to beat Serena in 2003. When did she ever beat Serena when Serena was playing well? When Unjustine wasn't cheating or playing against an injured or uninspired Serena, the Queen always sent that fraud packing on a flight back to Brussels.

The only player to beat a Serena who was playing decently? That would be Venus Williams during the 2008 Wimbledon final.

 

[textenfan]

Rybakina and Sabalenka can't take the game to the next level of "power and athleticism" for the simple reason Iga is the best athlete on tour and losing a couple of matches to her rivals wouldn't change that.

Even at 100%, Iga's serve (particularly the second) and her FH vulnerable to getting overpowered. She is the best in the field, but it doesn't mean there aren't bad match-ups for her.

 

[BrengleisGOAT!]

Yeah she’s playing worse but Babs, Elena, and Aryna have all stepped it up this year.

Thank Jesus tbh — 2020-2022 have been dogshit years for the tour. The tour isn’t interesting if everyone sucks and you have one player who’s actually not shit.

 

[andreescufan]

That’s not the issue. The point is, and has been made often over the past 3-6 months, is that Iga just does not problem solve and fight against in form players, that maintain resistance throughout. That is her problem, and it continues to be demonstrably proven time and time again (Sabalenka, Pegula, Krejcikova, Rybakina, Keys).

Iga will continue to dominate a large majority of the field and continue to product “bakery products”, but at this point, she has very troubling issues at hand (and doesn’t seem capable of dealing with them).

Yes....well I wish Bianca had such "problems".

 

[Aaron.]

Last year Swiatek filled the void left by Barty's retirement. She's just a transitional number one, just like Hingis was. Hingis took advantage of the gap between the Graf-Seles era and the Williams' sisters era, she looked untouchable in 1997. Then the competition became stronger, more powerful and physically stronger players started to emerge and even if she was still number one between 1998 and 2000 because she was still very consistent, she was no longer dominant and often lost to the big hitters. With the coming of age of the Williams' sisters and the growth of Davenport and Capriati, her ranking finally dropped to number five, that's when she decided to take a long break from the game.
The same thing is happening to Swiatek. Untouchable for one season during a transitional period, then suffering from the emergence and growth of big hitters that can overwhelm her.
The problem for Swiatek is that players like Rybakina and Sabalenka can take women's tennis to the next level in terms of power and athleticism, Swiatek can't.

This is going to age badly, but im sure you'll post it again once Swiatek loses another match.

 

[Wasabi.]

I wouldn't say figured out. Swiatek developed a game in 2022 that was effective against 95% of the tour and still is. The 5% that could challenge her were for the most part all injured, out of form, retired or inconsistent and the result was what we saw. So far this year that is not the case.

 

[Spice]

Krejcikova and Pegula really have shown if you can stay in the rally and keep close in the early games and Iga can't dominate, she can't seem to handle this pressure and sinks but I don't see this happening and the stress from defending so many points must be always on her mind.

 

[VeeJJ]

The way ya’ll jump to conclusions is wild to me.

 

[zim]

Shouldn't the answer be: "No, the competition got stronger." Iga's competition last year was Gauff, Pegula, Sakkari, Jabeur and Kasatkina. This year its Rybakina, Sabalenka and Krejcikova. Spot the difference?

 

[Proto_Czech]

Shouldn't the answer be: "No, the competition got stronger." Iga's competition last year was Gauff, Pegula, Sakkari, Jabeur and Kasatkina. This year its Rybakina, Sabalenka and Krejcikova. Spot the difference?

Didn't Iga beat Sabalenka in a couple semis, a finals and a quarters last year? Anyway, wasn't too long ago when Garcia was being talked up as Iga's most dangerous opponent.

 

[Aaron.]

Shouldn't the answer be: "No, the competition got stronger." Iga's competition last year was Gauff, Pegula, Sakkari, Jabeur and Kasatkina. This year its Rybakina, Sabalenka and Krejcikova. Spot the difference?

So is it a STRONG era now? or is it still weak? Seems to change every month