Iga Swiatek’s new coach, Wim Fissette, has identified Elena Rybakina as the toughest competitor for Swiatek, ahead of Aryna Sabalenka. Despite Swiatek’s dominance over the last three seasons, Fissette believes Rybakina poses the biggest challenge.

Swiatek, the world’s former top-ranked player, has a strong head-to-head record against most rivals. However, her most frequent and competitive opponent has been Belarus’s Sabalenka, who overtook Swiatek to end the season as World No. 1. Of their 12 encounters, Swiatek leads with an 8-4 record.

However, Fissette’s comments highlight Rybakina’s potential as the biggest obstacle for Swiatek moving forward, suggesting her playing style and recent form are key factors in this evaluation. Rybakina, who has proven formidable in recent major tournaments, continues to challenge Swiatek at the top.

Iga Swiatek in 2024

Now the world no.2, the Pole played her last match on the 18^th of November when she defeated world no.4 Jasmine Paolini 3-6 6-4 6-4 in the Rubber 2 in (draw).

Currently, during this year Swiatek owns an overall 64-9 win-loss record. The Pole clinched 6 titles in 2024 in Australia, Doha, Indian Wells, Madrid, Rome and French Open.

Elena Rybakina in 2024

Now ranked no.

6, the Kazakhstani played her last match on the 16^th of November when she overcame world no.350 Sohyun Park 6-2 6-2 in the Rubber 2 in KOR 3 (draw).

During this season Rybakina owns an overall 43-11 win-loss record. The Kazakhstani clinched 3 titles in 2024 in Brisbane, Abu Dhabi and Stuttgart. Rybakina was the finalist in Doha and Miami.

Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina faced off 6 times. Their actual record is 4-2 for Rybakina. The last time they fought against each other, Elena Rybakina won 6-3 4-6 6-3 in the semifinal in Stuttgart (Porsche Tennis Grand Prix) on the 20^th of April 2024.

Here the video highlights.

Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina

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