Aryna Sabalenka reveals where Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff bring ‘the biggest challenge’
World No 1 and reigning US Open champion Aryna Sabalenka has revealed how key rivals Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff bring “the biggest challenge” to her on a physical level.
Four-time Grand Slam singles champion Sabalenka won her most recent Grand Slam singles title at the US Open last weekend, defeating home favourite Amanda Anisimova in straight sets to successfully defend her title in New York.
Victory for the 27-year-old saw her join world No 2 Swiatek and world No 3 Gauff as a major champion in 2025, with Swiatek having lifted the Wimbledon title and Gauff triumphing at Roland Garros — beating Sabalenka in the final.
Sabalenka, Swiatek, and Gauff have proven to be the leading trio on the WTA Tour in recent years, with all three winning multiple Grand Slam titles and finding consistent success on tour.
Polish star Swiatek and US ace Gauff have proven to be the leading rivals of Sabalenka’s career, with the Belarusian facing a combined 24 meetings against the two women.
The world No 1 trails 5-8 in her head-to-head versus six-time Grand Slam winner Swiatek, though she has won their last two encounters, and has a 5-6 head-to-head versus Gauff — including defeats in this year’s French Open final and the 2023 US Open final.
Few women have been able to consistently trouble Sabalenka in the way that both the Pole and American have, and the world No 1 has now revealed one of the toughest tests the duo pose.
Speaking on the Jay Shetty Podcast this week, the Belarusian was asked to name who she felt posed the biggest challenge to her physically, and there were two obvious answers.
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“Coco, Iga, these two I think physically brings the biggest challenge,” said Sabalenka.
“They move really great. Sometimes you build a point and sometimes with the others [players] this shot would be a winner, but with them, sometimes you have to rebuild the point.
“Physically and mentally, it’s not easy to, like, stay strong and be ready that the ball [is] gonna come back every time and you have to, like, be really strong physically to handle that, that intensity.”
However, when asked to name her biggest opponent mentally, the world No 1 admitted it was possible to name just one opponent.
She added: “I cannot pick one. You know why? Because everyone is tough, you know. Everyone brings different challenges.
“It’s tough to say like: ‘Ok, she’s the toughest one for me.’ Because then you underestimate the rest of the group, which is not right.”
Sabalenka is set to return to action at the WTA 1000 China Open, which begins towards the end of September.
The world No 1 is also set to play at both the Wuhan Open and WTA Finals before the end of 2025.
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