Aryna Sabalenka distances herself from 'professional' Iga Swiatek with amusing locker room anecdote

Aryna Sabalenka recently shared an amusing anecdote to highlight the difference between herself and arch-rival Iga Swiatek. The World No. 1 made the comments while sharing a behind-the-scenes look after her triumph at the 2025 Madrid Open.

Sabalenka squared off against Coco Gauff in the final of the WTA 1000 event and triumphed with a 6-3, 7-6(3) victory to clinch her 20th tour-level title. Meanwhile, defending champion Swiatek lost the opportunity to set up a rematch of last year's title clash with the Belarusian by falling short against Gauff in the semifinals.

Following her win, Aryna Sabalenka shared a glimpse of her conversation with her team as she inquired about how many pairs of shoes she had left. When she found out she only had two, the Belarusian humorously disclosed what her peek into Iga Swiatek's locker at the Madrid Open had revealed.

Sabalenka recalled seeing eight or nine pairs of shoes under Swiatek's locker and highlighted how much more prepared and professional the Pole was compared to her.

"I mean, I’m not like Iga, you know why, guys? The other day I was in the locker room and I had only one pair of shoes and I forgot another one. And I looked at her locker and there was like, under the locker was nine, I think nine or eight pairs of shoes. And I was like, 'Yeah, someone is really professional and someone is just me.' So bad, I am!" Sabalenka said.

Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek will be back in action at the Italian Open, making their final stop before the French Open. The main draw action of the WTA 1000 event will kick off on May 6.

Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek lead the star-studded draw at Italian Open

Iga Swiatek and the Belarusian - Source: Getty

Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek are set to headline the star-studded field at the 2025 Italian Open, leading opposite halves of the draw, which includes the likes of Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula and Elena Rybakina. As such, the pair can only face one another in the final of the WTA 1000 event.

The Belarusian and Swiatek also locked horns in the title clash in 2024, with the Pole claiming a 6-2, 6-3 victory to clinch her third title at the event. However, Sabalenka is in much better form than the five-time Grand Slam champion heading into the Rome tournament this year.

After her Madrid Open exit, Iga Swiatek disclosed her plans to have some downtime to "chill" and unwind before commencing her preparations for the Italian Open. Meanwhile, Aryna Sabalenka said that she felt "super motivated" after triumphing at the WTA 1000 event and increasing her lead as the World No. 1.