Marta Kostyuk recently shared her thoughts on how she believes the dominance of Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina will be impacted by the “difficult” schedule of 2024, which includes the Paris Olympics in July.Swiatek, Sabalenka and Rybakina have been dominant forces on the WTA Tour for over two years. Initially, Swiatek stood out the most after Ashleigh Barty’s retirement, followed by Rybakina’s rise to fame after her historic 2022 Wimbledon Championships victory. Sabalenka then followed suit as a Grand Slam champion, having lifted the 2023 Australian Open trophy.
The trio collectively boast an impressive seven Majors, with Swiatek leading the pack with four, followed by Sabalenka’s two and Rybakina’s one.They have also held the top three spots in the WTA Rankings simultaneously before, with the Pole (1) and the Belarusian (2) standing still now while the Kazakhstani has been dethroned by Coco Gauff (3).Marta Kostyuk, who is currently competing at the San Diego Open and reached the quarterfinals after victories over Ann Li and Taylah Preston, praised the WTA trio, describing them as the “most consistent” players at the moment.
“For now, for me, it stays the same. It’s Iga [Swiatek], Aryna [Sabalenka], [Elena] Rybakina. I think they are the most consistent anyway,” Kostyuk told the media.
The Ukrainian further suggested that Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina’s flow might be halted this year due to the “difficult” calendar, particularly with the Paris Olympics looming on the horizon.
“Yeah, of course. Everyone gets tired. It’s a very very difficult calendar, especially this year with the Olympics. But, I think if they are fresh, I think these three but they are not fresh every week, so that’s the key,” Kostyuk said.
Iga Swiatek has been nominated for the Laureus Sportswoman of the Year 2024 following her exploits last year, which saw her win six titles, including the French Open and the WTA Finals.Swiatek is joined by Aitana Bonmati, Shericka Jackson, Faith Kipyegon, Sha’Carri Richardson and Mikaela Shiffrin.Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic has been named among the contenders for the Laureus Sportsman of the Year, alongside Lionel Messi, Max Verstappen, Erling Haaland, Noah Lyles and Mondo Duplantis. The Serb won three Majors in 2023 and finished the year atop the ATP Rankings for a record eighth time.2023 US Open and Wimbledon champions Coco Gauff and Marketa Vondrousova are among the nominees too in the Breakthrough and Comeback categorie, respectively.
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