"Iga Swiatek's opponents allowed her to play this tennis" - Former World No. 1 explains Aryna Sabalenka's unique advantage against Pole

Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek are the two big names of women's tennis at the moment and their rivalry on the court has delivered some blockbuster matches. Recently, former World No.1 Yevgeny Kafelnikov shared his thoughts about the unique advantage Belarusian has over her Polish rival.

Sabalenka and Swiatek are two of the strongest players the WTA Tour has seen in recent years. The duo are proficient in attacking gameplay and powerful strokes, and while the former packs a strong serve, Swiatek ups the stakes in terms of speed.

Recently, in an interview with the ‘First&Red’ YouTube channel, two-time Grand Slam champion Yevgeny Kafelnikov was asked if Iga Swiatek's style of play represents men's tennis. In response, he stated,

“I can tell you what I’ve seen for the last two or three years, her opponents allowed her to play this tennis. But they didn’t hit as powerfully as Aryna [Sabalenka] does.”

He went on to add that Aryna Sabalenka’s power and serve give her a distinct advantage over the Pole, saying,

“When Sabalenka comes out against [Iga] Swiatek, it’s a completely different story to what we see happen with Swiatek against other opponents before, where she dictated the style of play, she dictated the power of the shots, and now everything is going the other way. Aryna holds her serve without too much effort. She serves, I’m not afraid to say it, more powerfully than some men.”

Over the course of their careers, Sabalenka and Swiatek have played each other a total of 13 times. Swiatek got a stronger start to the duo's head-to-head record, winning their first five matches, but Sabalenka has begun to close the gap in recent years.

When Aryna Sabalenka weighed in in her rivalry against Iga Swiatek

Sabalenk and Swiatek at the 2025 French Open (Image Source: Getty)

While Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek are rivals when it comes to the tennis courts, the duo share a friendly bond amongst themselves away from the action. During the 2024 Brisbane International, Sabalenka weighed in on her rivalry against the Pole, saying,

"I thought we have to stay together and have fun and just enjoy our rivalry, not be too tough on each other. It's been becoming more chilled between us, too. I have to say she's a really nice person. It was fun to get to know each other.”

Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek have both displayed strong showings in their 2025 season. The former reached three Grand Slam finals and lifted the 2025 US Open trophy. Meanwhile, Swiatek was crowned champion at Wimbledon.