Iga Swiatek Warned Over Aryna Sabalenka’s Looming Threat as Martina Navratilova Makes Bold 2025 Prediction.
Aryna Sabalenka started the 2024 season being World No.2 and successfully defended her Australian Open Grand Slam title. However, the clay swing and the Grass swing were dominated by Iga Swiatek, who claimed the French Open and the Wimbledon titles, along with Olympic bronze. Sabalenka recovered from a shoulder injury in the meanwhile and made a comeback at the Cincinnati Open. As the four Grand Slams for the season are done now, Martina Navratilova thinks that Sabalenka may prove to be a threat to Swiatek’s title defense on Grass court next year, along with the year-end World No.1 title this year!
After Sabalenka’s terrific win over the home favorite Jessica Pegula, she is back in the race for the WTA crown. Her latest exploits on the hard court have aided in uplifting her rankings from World No.3 to World No.2. If Navratilova’s words are taken into account, Sabalenka’s journey to the top spot may not be long. During an interview with Sky Sports which was quoted by Przeglad Sportowy, Navratilova praised Sabalenka’s game on the hard courts.
“She is the best player on hard courts and catches up with Iga Swiatek in the ranking. We will see which of them will be the leader at the end of the year. I think Sabalenka has mathematical chances, so she should achieve this by winning two Grand Slam tournaments. Right now, Swiatek has 10,885 points, while Sabalenka is a place behind with 8,716 points. And with a few tournaments left for the calendar year, Sabalenka may take over Swiatek by the year-end,” Navratilova said.
Sabalenka’s threat over Swiatek’s position doesn’t end with just gaining the World No.1 position. It extends into the 2025 grass swing. Navratilova believes that the Belarusian is a threat not just on the hard court, but on every court. She said, “The sky is her limit. She will be the favorite at next year’s Wimbledon, she also knows how to play on the floor. (Sabalenka) She is a threat on every court.”
Navratilova is not the only former pro who rates Sabalenka highly. The likes of Andy Roddick and other experts also see a resemblance with Serena Williams. Just like Serena, during her heyday, was a force to reckon with, winning 23 Grand Slam titles and 4 Olympics gold medals, Sabalenka’s career may proceed along similar lines. Even Jessica Pegula, after losing the Cincinnati finals to Sabalenka, made a very interesting remark about Sabalenka.