At the Citi DC Open in Washington, Aryna Sabalenka made an “embarrassing” confession regarding her attention to the Olympic Games in Paris. Ranked as the world’s No. 3, Sabalenka admitted she had followed little of the action, despite the buzz surrounding the event.
Sabalenka, the highest-ranked player to skip Paris 2024, cited concerns about her physical fitness. The two-time Australian Open champion had also missed Wimbledon due to a shoulder injury and prioritized her preparation for the US Open in New York over a return to the clay courts at Roland Garros.
The Olympics remained a hot topic in Washington, with players like Paula Badosa, Ons Jabeur, and Emma Raducanu also defending their decisions to skip the Games. When asked about her engagement with the Olympics, Sabalenka conceded, “I’m so embarrassing [sic] to say that, but I didn’t really follow it. I was just checking results at the end of the day, watching a little bit of each sport, but not really.”
The most surprising result in Paris was Iga Swiatek’s semi-final defeat to Zheng Qinwen, which stunned the tennis world. Swiatek, the world No. 1, was the overwhelming favorite for the gold medal, having dominated the clay season and defeated Sabalenka in both the Madrid and Rome finals. Sabalenka admitted her surprise at this outcome, saying, “Of course, I expected Iga to win a gold medal. It’s Paris – that’s her place. That’s what my expectation was.”
Sabalenka’s choice to skip Paris and focus on the hard-court season seems to be yielding positive results. The 26-year-old has reached the semi-finals in Washington, following victories over Kamilla Rakhimova and compatriot Victoria Azarenka. She is set to face Czechia’s Marie Bouzkova for a place in the final, aiming for her first title since the Australian Open.
Sabalenka’s remarks reflect her strategic decision to prioritize her health and performance in upcoming tournaments, underscoring the personal and professional choices elite athletes must make in their careers.
Swiatek in Paris, ranking, and results in 2024
Currently ranked no.1, Iga has a compiled 52-6 match record in 2024. Swiatek is currently competing in Paris where she ousted the world no.143 Irina-Camelia Begu 6-2 7-5, the world no.59 Diane Parry 6-1 6-1, the world no.52 Xiyu Wang 6-3 6-4, the world no.9 Danielle Rose Collins 6-1 2-6 4-1 ret. and the world no.67 Anna Schmiedlova 6-2 6-1.
Swiatek has scheduled to compete next in Toronto (National Bank Open). She will start the tournament from the main draw that will commence on the 5th of August.
Aryna Sabalenka in 2024
Now ranked no.3, Aryna played her last match on the 3rd of August when she lost to world no.43 Marie Bouzkova 6-4 3-6 6-3 in the semifinal in Washington (draw).
This season Sabalenka achieved a 32-10 match record. Aryna clinched 1 title at the Australian Open. Aryna got to the final in Brisbane, Madrid and Rome.
Aryna Sabalenka will square off with the world no.202 Petra Kvitova in the final on Saturday at 6:00 pm on CENTRE COURT. Their head to head is 3-2 for Kvitova.
The Belarussian clinched 1 title in 2024 at the Australian Open. The Belarussian got to the final in Brisbane (Brisbane International), in Madrid (Mutua Madrid Open) and in Rome (Internazionali BNL d’Italia).
Sabalenka won 14 titles in her career: 10 on hard courts, 2 on clay courts and 2 on indoor courts. (See the list of her titles)
Sabalenka will play next in Toronto (National Bank Open). She will start the tournament from the main draw that will commence on the 5th of August.
Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka squared off 11 times. Their head to head is 8-3 for Swiatek. Before, the last time they played, Iga Swiatek won 6-2 6-3 in the final in Rome (Internazionali BNL d’Italia) on the 18th of May 2024.
Here the video highlights.
Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka |
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