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Post the 2023 Madrid Open final, Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina have cemented themselves atop the Race to the WTA Finals rankings. The trio have a total of six titles between them in 2023, and have beaten a fellow member of the fast-emerging elite pack in the final of most.
Taking note of the same, tennis coach Patrick Mouratoglou declare the trio as the WTA's own 'Big-3'. For the unitiated, the 'Big 3' was a term coined to refer to the group comprising Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer in view of their dominance atop the men's game in the 2000s and 2010s.
Drawing parallels between that and the current scenario of the women's tour, where Swiatek, Sabalenka and Rybakina have virtually been part of every big final in the last four months or so, Mouratoglou noted that the three stood a cut above the rest of the field.
"WTA has its big-3! Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina. The third one doesn’t have the ranking just because her points from winning Wimbledon haven’t been displayed," Mouratoglouwtweeted shortly after the Madrid Open final.
In theory, Mouratoglou said Rybakina should find herself in the Top-3 in not just the Race rankings, but also the world rankings given that she won Wimbledon last year only to not have the 2,000 ranking points awarded to Slam champions reflect in her tally.
Notably, Wimbledon's ban on Russian and Belarusian players in view of the the former's invasion of Ukraine had resulted in the ATP and WTA Tours stripping the tournament of ranking points. Rybakina had lifted her maiden Grand Slam trophy at SW19, beating Ons Jabeur in the summit clash.
Agreeing with Mouratoglou's assessment, a Twitter used said Rybakina's evolution and maturity has been a standout in her journey to becoming a formidable force on the WTA Tour.
"Such has been the evolution and maturity of elena rybakina tennis career that she has become a formidable force in the wta tour, just when she was in the shadows and considered by many irrelevant, gaining momentum to make her way through," a user tweeted.
Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina to lead the field at the Italian Open
Following her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in the Madrid Open final, Iga Swiatek will now shift her focus to defending her crown in the Italian capital of Rome.
The World No. 1 had lifted her second consecutive Italian Open trophy after defeating Ons Jabeur in the summit clash last year. She will once again be the top seed at the tournament this year, followed by the No. 2 ranked Sabalenka.
Elena Rybakina will also feature in the draw, which is set to include all top-10 players other than Petra Kvitova — who recently announced her decision to withdraw from the tournament due to a right foot injury.
