Semi-final preview: Sabalenka vs Swiatek

World No.1 vs defending champion - and there's a place in the final at stake

 - Alix Ramsay

Court Philippe-Chatrier, second match
Aryna Sabalenka (1) vs Iga Swiatek (5)

Aryna Sabalenka is the world No.1 and has been since the end of last year when she deposed Iga Swiatek. Iga is the defending champion, defending a title she has won four times and counting. Now they play for a place in the final.

There is every reason, then, to suppose that they would not want to spend much time together away from the match court.

Sabalenka’s power is positively terrifying and should any opponent dare to try to match it, she rolls up her sleeves and hits the ball even harder. “Bring it on!” is her mantra – she loves a challenge. And yet she has formed something of a bond with Swiatek. They may not be best buddies yet (and they may never be) but there has certainly been a thawing of relations between them.

“I think everything started when I just came to her and asked to do TikTok in the WTA Finals in Riyadh,” Sabalenka said. “We just did like a little dance together. I think since then, we are better with each other. We were, like, OK, maybe we can communicate, we can be good to each other, we can practise sometimes. I think that was the first step to a better relationship.”

That doesn’t mean that Swiatek can expect any favours on Thursday; there is too much at stake. And, as Iga will discover, there is more to Sabalenka’s game these days than just muscle.

“I think over the years I evolved my game a lot, and I think I'm ready to play against powerful players,” she said. “I'm ready to play against whoever's going to make me run and work for the point. But when it comes to the power, I like it, because then it's, like, OK, you want to see the power? Let me show you something.”

Swiatek, though, knows what is coming. She has won eight of their 12 previous meetings and is not expecting anything new from the top seed. “I don't know if she elevates my game,” the champion said. “But for sure our rivalry is pushing both of us.”

Iga was giving nothing away (she never does at this stage in a Grand Slam); Aryna was looking and sounding confident and as if she could not wait to get started. We could be in for a treat.