Connect with us

TENNIS

Martina Navratilova makes Aryna Sabalenka ranking and Wimbledon claim after US Open title run

Published

on

Martina Navratilova makes Aryna Sabalenka ranking and Wimbledon claim after US Open title run

 

Martina Navratilova believes Aryna Sabalenka should be able to catch up with Iga Swiatek in the battle for the No 1 spot in the WTA Rankings while she also made a bold prediction about the Belarusian being “one of the favourites at Wimbledon”.

 

After falling at the final hurdle in 2023 when she lost the US Open final against Coco Gauff, Sabalenka went all the way this year as she beat Jessica Pegula in straight sets in the showpiece match at Arthur Ashe Stadium to win her third Grand Slam.

 

Despite her title run, Sabalenka will remain at No 2 in the rankings behind Swiatek – who has been No 1 since November last year – despite picking up 2,000 points at Flushing Meadows. The gap, though, has been reduced to 2,169 points.

 


The good news for the 26-year-old is the fact that her Polish rival has a lot more points to defend in the last few months of the season as she won the China Open and WTA Finals in 2023.
Tennis great Navratilova believes the battle for the No 1 ranking will go down to the wire.
“She’s the best hard-court player and she’s catching up to Iga Swiatek on the rankings so we’ll see who ends up as world No 1 at the end of the year,” she told Sky Sports Tennis.
“I think mathematically it’s still possible for Sabalenka to get there by the end of the year and so she should because she’s won two majors.”
How much money did Aryna Sabalenka collect as she won her first US Open title?
Having won the Australian Open at the start of the year, Sabalenka is one of only five women to win the two hard-court Slams in the same year with Steffi Graf, Monica Seles, Martina Hingis and Steffi Graf the others to achieve the feat.
There is no doubt she is now the best player on hard courts as she is 27-1 in her last four Slams on the surface with that defeat coming against Gauff in New York last year.
But it is not just on hard courts where she has excelled as she reached the semi-finals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon as well.
Navratilova believes Sabalenka should challenge for the titles at Wimbledon and Roland Garros as she is “a threat” everywhere.
The 18-time Grand Slam singles champion continued: “The sky’s the limit for her. She should be one of the favourites at Wimbledon and she knows how to play on the clay as well, so she’s a threat on any surface right now.”
The rest of the WTA Tour should be worried as Sabalenka has improved several aspects of her game.
“I feel as though she has improved every aspect of her game, incrementally and as a whole,” Navratilova said.
“I think she can improve her transition game and come to the net more. She’s so big at the net so it’s hard to go through her. You can’t go over her, so I would like to see that transition.
“The slice backhand is where she can improve the most, come in on that, particularly on the grass. If she adds that variety to her game and work on the drop shot then yep.”

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

NFL8 hours ago

BREAKING NEWS: Stop Obsessing Over Taylor Swift!’ Whoopi Goldberg Tears Into Trump’s Strange Claim She’s ‘No Longer Hot,’ Imploring Him to Tackle Presidential Duties Over Petty Jealousy

NFL10 hours ago

JUST IN: Travis Kelce Stands Firmly by Taylor Swift, Blasting Donald Trump’s Vicious ‘No Longer Hot’ Comment and ‘I Hate Taylor Swift’ Tirade Sparked by Her Kamala Harris Support in the 2024 Presidential Race

NFL15 hours ago

JUST IN: Donald Trump Rekindles Bitter Feud with Taylor Swift, Claiming She’s ‘No Longer Hot’ After Her Kamala Harris Endorsement in the 2024 Election Sparked His ‘I Hate Taylor Swift’ Truth Social Outburst in September

NFL16 hours ago

BREAKING: Trump’s Latest Attack on Taylor Swift Sees Him Claim She’s ‘No Longer Hot’ Since His ‘I Hate Taylor Swift’ Post, Despite Her $1.6 Billion Net Worth and Record-Breaking $2 Billion Eras Tour Success in 2024

NFL21 hours ago

BREAKING: Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ ongoing Trail Pulls in Cultural Icons as Michael B. Jordan and Jay-Z Subpoenaed as Prosecutors Unravel Allegations of Racketeering, Sex-Trafficking, and Coercion in New York Courtroom

NFL24 hours ago

JUST IN: Taylor Swift Makes a Heartwarming Contribution by Donating an Autographed TTPD Guitar to the Mahomies Foundation Gala Charity Auction Tonight with Travis Kelce hilariously stating “I just realized that I have that already”

NFL1 day ago

JUST IN: Tiffany Trump, Daughter of President Donald Trump, Welcomes Her First Child, a Baby Boy Named Alexander Trump Boulos, with Husband Michael Boulos, Marking a Joyous Milestone for the First Family on May 15, 2025

NFL1 day ago

JUST IN: Kansas City Chiefs’ Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes Light Up the 15 and Mahomes Charity Gala, as Taylor Swift and Brittany Mahomes Watch in Admiration from the Sidelines

NFL1 day ago

JUST IN: Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift Captivate the Crowd with a Breathtaking Arrival at Patrick Mahomes’ 15 and the Mahomies Charity Gala Extravaganza

NFL1 day ago

JUST IN: The View Co-host Whoopi Goldberg Condemn Cannes Film Festival 2025 Ban on Red Carpet Exposing Outfits and Calling Robert De Niro’s Lifetime Award “Unjustified

NFL1 day ago

Patrick and Brittany Mahomes Light Up the 15 and the Mahomies Event with Heartfelt Support for Youth, Just Months Before Chiefs Face Chargers in São Paulo Showdown

NFL1 day ago

Kansas City Chiefs Star Patrick Mahomes and Comedian Rob Riggle Share Laughs at the 15 and the Mahomies Foundation Charity Event in Support of Children’s Wellness

Copyright © 2024 USAmidia