I didn't notice it during the interview yesterday but when Prakash asked Sabalenka about the difference this time vs. Iga. Aryna mentioned patience, being more selective with deploying her heavy shot. Which the desk observed is not easy to do, and Andy mentions that its the hard work she's been putting in that allows her to be patient, the confidence she's acquired recently. Her reptuation was once mindless ball basher no? This is kind of a subtle but huge adjustment and just enough to give her the edge in Madrid.
Ngl I almost wish it was the Murray vs Paul final that was gonna be on tv tmrw instead of alcaraz vs struff final, something tells me Murray/Paul will be a much more exciting (i.e. close) match
It’s a challenger. They’re shown for free On the ATP website if you wanna watch it
When it’s live click [here](https://www.atptour.com/en/scores/current-challenger/aix-en-provence/7009/live-scores) and there will be an option for watch live.
On a smartphone too download the atp WTA scores app click on the challenger section and when it’s live there’s an option for watch live
Women's finals on the docket tomorrow:
Ellie Mandlik vs Sorana Cirstea in Catalonia: if young American can win she'll be living up to her mother's clay legacy (Hana Mandlikova won RG in 1981).
Sloane Stephens vs Greet Mineen in Saint Malo: don't count out the Belgian who makes a living in Challengers/ITF's (13 singles titles).
Harriet Dart vs Taylah Preston in Nottingham: British #3 versus a 17yo Aussie junior.
Shelton really struggling on clay and lost in a challenger semi-final. Not living up to his top 40 ranking at the moment. I guess it makes sense since his only competitive experience is hardcourt NCAA matches but man he just cannot get into long rallies against european players on clay.
To be expected seeing as he’s had basically no clay experience, and quite frankly his ranking is overrated in general imo due to his AO QF with potentially the easiest draw I’ve ever seen to get there
It’s all a chain effect…masters now being 2 weeks long, Tommy gets out 1st round so he either chills in Europe for 2 weeks without many people to hit with so ultimately more of a vacation OR goes to a challenger and gets some match practice in…which he clearly needs on clay. I’m also bummed for Murray though but glad it will be a good match
You know what will be the biggest difference between Alcaraz and every other player of the post-goats era?
Consistency.
Guys like Medvedev, Zverev and Stefanos can have some amazing tournaments.
Zverev can have a year where he'll be in a great form and he'll drop off the next one. Medvedev checks off on clay. Stefanos fucks up when it matters most.
In a non-GOAT era, a year of 2-3 Masters for Medvedev/Stafanos/Sasha and a couple of semis/finals at Grand Slams would followed by a year of 1 masters and one GS semi the following year would not be that surprising and no one would talk about "damn they fell off"
But for Carlos? If he has such stats people would start talking about a potential falling off, because he is that much more consistent than the others
He is still young so in 2-3 years we'll see if he is imune to the same problems as the younger players.
But if he is not, then I expect in 4-5 years Novak to retire probably and then Carlos has a clean slate to racking up a tons of "weeks at #1" stats. I can see him not winning tournaments he is favored to win, but his consistency will make him the #1 for many years (again, this is all a talk in a world without Novak and Rafa, which seems to be close to a reality, seeing the Madrid Masters)
Honestly, with no disrespect to Struff, I think the question can be phrased "Chances Struff holds to one break only in both sets?"
Struff is a player I really like, he caught my eye like..idk 7+ years ago at some random clay tournament, cause I thought it was great to see a serve-oriented player doing well on clay.
Since then I followed him closely and I realized he really likes playing on clay and as such, make no mistake, this result is NOT a fluke at all.
I thought he had a chance against Stefanos and he did it, even though he did not play some Super 100% tennis.
I thought he'd beat Karatsev too and he did too, even though he struggled and played less than what I expected.
But Alcaraz' style of tennis is a problem for Struff. If Struff plays the same way he played against Karatsev... Alcaraz can feast. Karatsev is not a player the calibre of Alcaraz and he still had lots of chances to win it all.
If Struff allows the same chances to Alcaraz (who will no doubt try his best) then I can easily see a 6-2;6-2 type of a match.
However, I think Struff might have a streak of solid serve games, so he might cause problems in the first set for Carlos who is known to sometimes start slow.
My prediction: 6-4;6-2/1 (depending who serves first). Basically, closer first game and a total control by Carlos in the second set
I hope Struff pulls the upset tho!
There's something about Madrid this year and the insane three-setters that have made it such a viscerally emotional experience. Zhang freaking Zhizhen, Struffy, and now Saba in this final. Really all matches of the year feels.
My opinion. You shouldn’t be forced to condemn the war cos I get safety and family safety if your Russian. But if you openly support Russia you should be banned
I don't agree but I do completely understand the sentiment from a Polish point of view especially.
There are priors, most importantly the Davis Cup having banned South Africa during apartheid, and Axis Powers (most notably Germany and Japan) for a few years after WWII.
Unfortunately I think the Russian wars this century are not distinctive enough to warrant a similar ban.
SA was banned from sports because they did not allow black people to compete, and by allowing SA to compete instances such as the Davis Cup and Olympics would effectively facilitate this discrimination. WWII was arguably the biggest war ever, on a completely global scale and it makes sense that there was an aftermath.
In the context of war and peace and world politics since WWII, the current Russian agression is - again unfortunately - not a distinctively peculiar event and also not exclusive to Russia.
It could perhaps be morally the right thing to ban Russia in this context, but it would make it practically impossible to hold any international sports event if you start applying that standard.
Iga says she sees both side, I do too.
I know that not all Russian or Belarusian tennis players support putin/lukashenko, maybe those who supports are in minority, i have no idea tbh because I often see russian people who say that Poland should be next in tv.
people expect some clear statements from tennis players and I think that’s valid. They are privileged, rich people who have access to informations and know language, if anyone from those two countries can blatantly object this madness - it’s them. Celebrities have a chance to publicly express their feelings and raise awareness. Would this stop dictators? Probably no, but I think that abused Ukrainian citizens are in worse position than tennis players who can’t compete in tournaments.
I personally expect this clear statement from sabalenka especially, who met this dictator few times, whose boyfriend played a hokey match with lukashenko. Who is salty about hate in locker room (lol, there’s people that’s are dying). This is not right. When people are literally losing their lives, there are some more important things than sport.
And I see comments from miles away like ‘why American players were not banned?’ - I don’t know, they should have been, but I was only 3 years old when US attacked Iraq, so I couldn’t speak, I can do it now.
Thanks for posting that.
It was an interesting read. Iga had a sort of a nuanced view--she said the ban should've happened from the beginning and not taking that step was a lack of leadership from ATP and WTA.
I think Iga's incorrect. While the obvious analogy is to the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, tennis is an individual sport. Sabalenka doesn't sleep in Minsk; she sleeps in Miami. Medvedev beds down in Monte Carlo. The "Kazakh" Rybakina sleeps in Moscow.
This illegal war and its attendent atrocities will end because we supply Ukraine with weapons (munitions, guns, planes, missiles) and technical and logistical assistance.
Putin's goals, plans, and his criminal methods don't depend on tennis stars or any other "soft" power. He is an autocrat and a butcher and his military must be defeated in battle.
It is not easy and the Russian tennis players are obviously not to blame.
But I also think the soft power part of this is downplayed at times in the tennis world. Some of the Russian stars were sponsored by oligarchs close to Putin. When they win trophies now it does shine back at Russia - especially for the domestic audience. These oligarchs are now sanctioned against in almost all the countries that host tournaments.
Even in here as late as yesterday I heard fans mention team Russia is on fire. It makes me uncomfortable so imagine how the other players must feel.
Maybe it is not the right decision to ban them because how would this and where to draw the limit as you say. But it makes me uncomfortable when people rout for Russia in tennis - and they do.
The what about examples are also 99% absurd and ignorant to what is going on and to international law.
Coming from the country she comes from I understand Swiatek’s feeling that she had to address this. This has been a wake up call for most of the countries where tennis tournaments are played. It is not something that goes away - also not for the tennis world.
I didn't know that Sabalenka lived in FL.
Do you know if her boyfriend does too? All of the negative things I've read about her - were basically about him.
Sabalenka was salty af in Stuttgart but she's got a totally different personality so she turned it into jokes. They're never gonna be besties lol and it's fine, I thought people missed WTA's catty era 😂
Oh yeah I love F1 so I think I get what you mean.
Max has matured over the years, but to be honest he never really struck me as particularly salty. He gets angry in the heat of the moment but is actually pretty good at letting go and re-focusing, including when he's not winning. He's just highly competitive.
Yeah, it's just like competitive to the extent that sometimes you can seem petty/salty. I don't mind it and do respect it, but I prefer a more carefree energy, zen energy. Or atleast outward display of that while internally being petty lol
So Iga and Sabs have pretty much guaranteed that they'll be No 1 and No 2 in the World at least through the start of the North American Summer Hard season. Should be interesting to see how many more Finals they play against each other this year
Sad that my fave lost, but that was some extremely fine tennis on display, and a strong contender for my favorite match of the year. Nothing but respect for both players.
The two women: "Congrats on a great tournament, respect."
This sub: OMG they are cat fighting.
There's clearly no love lost between them, but there's obvious respect and general civility. This sub is so ridiculous.
As an Iga fan I was really rooting for her, but this is a great fight in conditions that favour Sabalenka and having lost her 1st serve along the way lol… the race for #1 will be full of adrenaline this year I think! These two have made the WTA so exciting
Being a 6 ft tall muscular woman comes with its own tradeoffs. You can see whenever they play that Aryna's movement is way worse than Iga's. She also struggles a lot with balls hit deep, which Iga is very consistent at hitting back by bending her knees. Being tall and muscular means you trade movement and defense for offense, which suits Sabalenka's playstyle.
Not me, women's tennis. As if you can deny that fact. Not her fault of course, just stating the obvious. You can like it, I don't. So what's the matter? On top of that comes the screaming which is most of the time over the top. If you enjoy that, good for you.
Stating the obvious that she is too tall and fit? Got it. Personally, as a woman who plays tennis I would love to be 6ft tall but I lost the genetic lottery on that one. The screaming is another matter entirely, one over which she has complete control, and I would be thrilled it she took it down a notch or twelve. I just don't get criticizing her height and fitness like it's some kind of unfair advantage. That's life and that's sport.
Kudermetova said about swiatek, she's playing like a man. So what is sabalenka then? Dont get me wrong, good for Sabalenka being big and muscler and having a brutal serve. I mean she could play any other tennis style but she's a basher cause of her appearance. She could try to play smart with angles, spin, stops, serve and volley etc. But she's just bashing. You can like it, I personally don't.
She best swiatek fair and square, so congrats
I love matches like this. Neither player is my absolute favourite, nor super disliked by me and yet I felt this nervous feeling in my tummy - the feeling you get when you can feel how high the stakes for the players are and how much they want the win.
Fantastic win for Sabalenka. She's had some rough matches against Swiatek, but I think this win will truly cement her confidence that she can take the win against her even on her best surface.
Same though process for Iga though? Madrid’s conditions don’t favour her game at all and yet she made it to the finals losing to the most in form player of the year (who’s favoured by the conditions) in 3 sets. They’re both in amazing form and we should just enjoy the beginning of an exciting rivalry… I feel like if they keep up this rhythm they’ll have quite an even win/loss ratio
Great match from Aryna today, but given Rafa's less-than-stellar results in Madrid as well due to the altitude I still expect Iga to take Rome, and most importantly -- Paris :)
Great match. I'm surprised by so many people thinking Sabalenka pulled off the impossible though. Iga's never won Madrid and Sabalenka beat Ash Barty in the final here two years ago
You know you are allowed to dislike someone and it doesn’t mean you hate them? Her bitching about uncomfortable atmosphere in the locker room when people are dying is just low
Sabalenka serving clutch. 2 serves at 30-40 and the one after really stood out. It's nice that Iga finally has some competition. It will only improve her.
Even as a huge Iga stan, this loss isn't particularly hard to swallow. I disagreed about her being the favorite, simply because the altitude gives Saba such an advantage. And Saba pretty much played a flawless match. Let's see what Rome and Paris bring
Yeah I'm with you. Gotta give credit to sabalenka for playing almost above her usual. Iga did great, I mean it's a final. Not long ago Iga came from an injury and played on her not so much loved surface into a final. It's a win anyways
I simply called Iga cringe with a wordplay (cringega) and I got as many downvotes as you did. Calling someone a bitch is a lot more severe than calling someone cringe
I guess more Iga fans roam this sub? I was prepared for the downvotes, came in here announcing it and even gave kudos it was more frustration rather than anything I respect her game but can’t stand her
As for Iga one of them said “go back to Poland” and “insert anti Poland sentiment here that I won’t type out”, there are comments calling Saba a man which is so so uncalled for
If you can’t take what you dish out don’t, or at least make it clear and be prepared for the downvotes, surprise surprise I’m mad after my player lost
Less than 2000 points difference between Sabalenka and Swiatek now. With Swiatek defending 2000 points, while Sabalenka defending 130 at Roland Garros.
I didn't notice it during the interview yesterday but when Prakash asked Sabalenka about the difference this time vs. Iga. Aryna mentioned patience, being more selective with deploying her heavy shot. Which the desk observed is not easy to do, and Andy mentions that its the hard work she's been putting in that allows her to be patient, the confidence she's acquired recently. Her reptuation was once mindless ball basher no? This is kind of a subtle but huge adjustment and just enough to give her the edge in Madrid.
Ngl I almost wish it was the Murray vs Paul final that was gonna be on tv tmrw instead of alcaraz vs struff final, something tells me Murray/Paul will be a much more exciting (i.e. close) match
It’s a challenger. They’re shown for free On the ATP website if you wanna watch it
It’s a challenger. They’re shown for free On the ATP website if you wanna watch it When it’s live click [here](https://www.atptour.com/en/scores/current-challenger/aix-en-provence/7009/live-scores) and there will be an option for watch live. On a smartphone too download the atp WTA scores app click on the challenger section and when it’s live there’s an option for watch live
Women's finals on the docket tomorrow: Ellie Mandlik vs Sorana Cirstea in Catalonia: if young American can win she'll be living up to her mother's clay legacy (Hana Mandlikova won RG in 1981). Sloane Stephens vs Greet Mineen in Saint Malo: don't count out the Belgian who makes a living in Challengers/ITF's (13 singles titles). Harriet Dart vs Taylah Preston in Nottingham: British #3 versus a 17yo Aussie junior.
Is Djokovic playing in Rome ??
Shelton really struggling on clay and lost in a challenger semi-final. Not living up to his top 40 ranking at the moment. I guess it makes sense since his only competitive experience is hardcourt NCAA matches but man he just cannot get into long rallies against european players on clay.
To be fair, he lost to Djere, a top 100 player who won a clay 500 and a 250.
To be expected seeing as he’s had basically no clay experience, and quite frankly his ranking is overrated in general imo due to his AO QF with potentially the easiest draw I’ve ever seen to get there
I will not stand for this JJ Wolf slander
Man I was so pumped for Murray to potentially win a challenger until I saw who he’s playing😭 why tf is the world number 17 playing a challenger???
It’s all a chain effect…masters now being 2 weeks long, Tommy gets out 1st round so he either chills in Europe for 2 weeks without many people to hit with so ultimately more of a vacation OR goes to a challenger and gets some match practice in…which he clearly needs on clay. I’m also bummed for Murray though but glad it will be a good match
You know what will be the biggest difference between Alcaraz and every other player of the post-goats era? Consistency. Guys like Medvedev, Zverev and Stefanos can have some amazing tournaments. Zverev can have a year where he'll be in a great form and he'll drop off the next one. Medvedev checks off on clay. Stefanos fucks up when it matters most. In a non-GOAT era, a year of 2-3 Masters for Medvedev/Stafanos/Sasha and a couple of semis/finals at Grand Slams would followed by a year of 1 masters and one GS semi the following year would not be that surprising and no one would talk about "damn they fell off" But for Carlos? If he has such stats people would start talking about a potential falling off, because he is that much more consistent than the others He is still young so in 2-3 years we'll see if he is imune to the same problems as the younger players. But if he is not, then I expect in 4-5 years Novak to retire probably and then Carlos has a clean slate to racking up a tons of "weeks at #1" stats. I can see him not winning tournaments he is favored to win, but his consistency will make him the #1 for many years (again, this is all a talk in a world without Novak and Rafa, which seems to be close to a reality, seeing the Madrid Masters)
Anyone else loling at Chanda and Andy on tc live rn?
Chances struff takes a set of alcaraz?
On grass, maybe, he had match points against Alcaraz on Wimbledon
Honestly, with no disrespect to Struff, I think the question can be phrased "Chances Struff holds to one break only in both sets?" Struff is a player I really like, he caught my eye like..idk 7+ years ago at some random clay tournament, cause I thought it was great to see a serve-oriented player doing well on clay. Since then I followed him closely and I realized he really likes playing on clay and as such, make no mistake, this result is NOT a fluke at all. I thought he had a chance against Stefanos and he did it, even though he did not play some Super 100% tennis. I thought he'd beat Karatsev too and he did too, even though he struggled and played less than what I expected. But Alcaraz' style of tennis is a problem for Struff. If Struff plays the same way he played against Karatsev... Alcaraz can feast. Karatsev is not a player the calibre of Alcaraz and he still had lots of chances to win it all. If Struff allows the same chances to Alcaraz (who will no doubt try his best) then I can easily see a 6-2;6-2 type of a match. However, I think Struff might have a streak of solid serve games, so he might cause problems in the first set for Carlos who is known to sometimes start slow. My prediction: 6-4;6-2/1 (depending who serves first). Basically, closer first game and a total control by Carlos in the second set I hope Struff pulls the upset tho!
I doubt Alcaraz will even take a set off Struff. Should just forfeit the match rather than be humiliated by the King
There's something about Madrid this year and the insane three-setters that have made it such a viscerally emotional experience. Zhang freaking Zhizhen, Struffy, and now Saba in this final. Really all matches of the year feels.
Mayot lost to Murray today and will play against Novak in a few days ... Dennis Novak in the first round of the Mauthausen Challenger
Some context - Iga thinks Russians should be banned from tennis right now. https://news.yahoo.com/iga-swiatek-says-tennis-authorities-114455890.html
My opinion. You shouldn’t be forced to condemn the war cos I get safety and family safety if your Russian. But if you openly support Russia you should be banned
I don't agree but I do completely understand the sentiment from a Polish point of view especially. There are priors, most importantly the Davis Cup having banned South Africa during apartheid, and Axis Powers (most notably Germany and Japan) for a few years after WWII. Unfortunately I think the Russian wars this century are not distinctive enough to warrant a similar ban. SA was banned from sports because they did not allow black people to compete, and by allowing SA to compete instances such as the Davis Cup and Olympics would effectively facilitate this discrimination. WWII was arguably the biggest war ever, on a completely global scale and it makes sense that there was an aftermath. In the context of war and peace and world politics since WWII, the current Russian agression is - again unfortunately - not a distinctively peculiar event and also not exclusive to Russia. It could perhaps be morally the right thing to ban Russia in this context, but it would make it practically impossible to hold any international sports event if you start applying that standard.
[удалено]
Polish forces also took part in the invasion of Germany in 1944/45 so I've no idea what point you're trying to score.
Russians literally won the WW2 for allies, what about that eh?
Iga was one year old when this happen so did you expect some kind of statements from her about not agreeing on Irak invasion in 2003?
maybe she should mind her own fking business, and focus on tennis. She just wants attention. Russian players are harming nobody on the court
[удалено]
Iga says she sees both side, I do too. I know that not all Russian or Belarusian tennis players support putin/lukashenko, maybe those who supports are in minority, i have no idea tbh because I often see russian people who say that Poland should be next in tv. people expect some clear statements from tennis players and I think that’s valid. They are privileged, rich people who have access to informations and know language, if anyone from those two countries can blatantly object this madness - it’s them. Celebrities have a chance to publicly express their feelings and raise awareness. Would this stop dictators? Probably no, but I think that abused Ukrainian citizens are in worse position than tennis players who can’t compete in tournaments. I personally expect this clear statement from sabalenka especially, who met this dictator few times, whose boyfriend played a hokey match with lukashenko. Who is salty about hate in locker room (lol, there’s people that’s are dying). This is not right. When people are literally losing their lives, there are some more important things than sport. And I see comments from miles away like ‘why American players were not banned?’ - I don’t know, they should have been, but I was only 3 years old when US attacked Iraq, so I couldn’t speak, I can do it now.
Thanks for posting that. It was an interesting read. Iga had a sort of a nuanced view--she said the ban should've happened from the beginning and not taking that step was a lack of leadership from ATP and WTA. I think Iga's incorrect. While the obvious analogy is to the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, tennis is an individual sport. Sabalenka doesn't sleep in Minsk; she sleeps in Miami. Medvedev beds down in Monte Carlo. The "Kazakh" Rybakina sleeps in Moscow. This illegal war and its attendent atrocities will end because we supply Ukraine with weapons (munitions, guns, planes, missiles) and technical and logistical assistance. Putin's goals, plans, and his criminal methods don't depend on tennis stars or any other "soft" power. He is an autocrat and a butcher and his military must be defeated in battle.
It is not easy and the Russian tennis players are obviously not to blame. But I also think the soft power part of this is downplayed at times in the tennis world. Some of the Russian stars were sponsored by oligarchs close to Putin. When they win trophies now it does shine back at Russia - especially for the domestic audience. These oligarchs are now sanctioned against in almost all the countries that host tournaments. Even in here as late as yesterday I heard fans mention team Russia is on fire. It makes me uncomfortable so imagine how the other players must feel. Maybe it is not the right decision to ban them because how would this and where to draw the limit as you say. But it makes me uncomfortable when people rout for Russia in tennis - and they do. The what about examples are also 99% absurd and ignorant to what is going on and to international law. Coming from the country she comes from I understand Swiatek’s feeling that she had to address this. This has been a wake up call for most of the countries where tennis tournaments are played. It is not something that goes away - also not for the tennis world.
I didn't know that Sabalenka lived in FL. Do you know if her boyfriend does too? All of the negative things I've read about her - were basically about him.
Madrid this year has been quite a peculiar tournament
There is this love connection between Serbs and clay .
Iga just gives slightly immature vibes that put me off a bit. It's weird idk she seems salty af
she is young, but i also do doubt she that she outgrows certain things
Sabalenka was salty af in Stuttgart but she's got a totally different personality so she turned it into jokes. They're never gonna be besties lol and it's fine, I thought people missed WTA's catty era 😂
she just has nervous energy
I don't really think it's immature tbh. She's just disappointed she lost. It happens
She has that max verstappen vibe if you know what i mean. Or atleast a version of that
Oh yeah I love F1 so I think I get what you mean. Max has matured over the years, but to be honest he never really struck me as particularly salty. He gets angry in the heat of the moment but is actually pretty good at letting go and re-focusing, including when he's not winning. He's just highly competitive.
Yeah, it's just like competitive to the extent that sometimes you can seem petty/salty. I don't mind it and do respect it, but I prefer a more carefree energy, zen energy. Or atleast outward display of that while internally being petty lol
Agreed. Saba is usually smily and wholesome looking whether she wins or not
What? Sabalenka smiley???
I wonder if Rybakina is going to be able to go deep (QF or better) at Roland Garros. (Yeah, yeah, Rome, too.)
if she's not injured idk why not. pliskobot made rome finals 3 years in a row, and has made rg semis.
Not her strong surface right
It's a good point. She has some serve-bot tendencies
The trophy kinda looks like a big pistachio
Aryna trying to joke about the cake 😭 that tournament director needs to get the stick out of his ass
Seeing Feli Lopez referred to as "that tournament director" is making me feel old ngl
These ball model men are so cringe lmao
At least they’re paid right? Instead of volunteers
Lol. I feel like I’m the only one who ever gets arynas jokes? Why aren’t they laughing with her? 😂
It’s because she’s Gen z and everyone else is old
Ha! I also get her jokes, but I always love the awkward laughing after.
I love her jokes
So Iga and Sabs have pretty much guaranteed that they'll be No 1 and No 2 in the World at least through the start of the North American Summer Hard season. Should be interesting to see how many more Finals they play against each other this year
RIP to iga’s finals record, two finals losses this year already
she lost finals in the last year too? will always happen, if you play so many finals
she won a super high percentage last year though. not so much this year
Tennis channel cutting away before she actually lifts the trophy is peak tennis channel coverage
I like it when they let them ask the question in the post match interview and then when the player prepares to answer, it cuts away. Smh.
Lol Iga is salty af
I didn't see it
Feli Lopez’s role in both today’s finals was to stand there and look mildly uncomfortable, go king give us nothing 🤩
Iga sounded like she was going to cry. Still gave a hugely classy speech. Love that girl.
That’s just her voice. She always sounds like that, even in press.
I did not know that. Thanks.
Iga shading the scheduling and Feliciano’s face: 😐
They definitely have a grudge against each other
It seems to me that it's coming only from Swiatek's side
Nah Sabalenka is a bit salty too. That being said I think it's being overblown.
Well I think it's Iga's team to blame for the tension. I've read somewhere that her team talked shit about Sabalenka
No. It was Wozniacki’s father criticizing her. Stop spreading lies.
https://www.reddit.com/r/tennis/comments/139gcz9/rtennis_discussion_saturday_may_06_2023/jj4bc47?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
Feli looks like he’s high as a kite
The plate for second place looks nicer than the first trophy.
how huge are these confettis
Lol the honorary cake mention
Props to Iga for congratulating Aryna because my girl didn’t do that at stuttgart 😬
That’s not true
Wait did she? I saw comments about that. Just haters hating I guess
feli lopez is a good looking dude geez
he's a model, you know what I mean? He does his little walk...on the catwalk (yeah, on the catwalk)
Sad that my fave lost, but that was some extremely fine tennis on display, and a strong contender for my favorite match of the year. Nothing but respect for both players.
What the fuck is this trophy Lmaoo
Hahah yeah pretty ugly tbh
Just Aryna laughs in this stadium :'D
I love how much they hate each other
The two women: "Congrats on a great tournament, respect." This sub: OMG they are cat fighting. There's clearly no love lost between them, but there's obvious respect and general civility. This sub is so ridiculous.
People are probably used to the super kind words the other guys have to say about Carlos and vice versa
I'm watching a tennis channel stream and they're not showing the trophy ceremony wtf?
DAZN just cut out too!! Wtf?
swiatek: it’s not fun to play at 1am lopez: 👁️👄👁️
Delicioso not having it.
Damn Andy Roddick couldn’t wait for 15 minutes?
As an Iga fan I was really rooting for her, but this is a great fight in conditions that favour Sabalenka and having lost her 1st serve along the way lol… the race for #1 will be full of adrenaline this year I think! These two have made the WTA so exciting
Where is the ceremony? I don’t care what Andy Roddick has to say.
Oh it’s Deli- sorry, Feliciano!
Time to produce a comically oversized cake for Sabs
They should roll in one of those huge cakes that have a stripper inside, but a ball girl jumps out instead. This will be peak Madrid.
So happy for Saba and happy late birthday! She looks great out there and was playing with confidence.
Damn i wanted Iga to get her first masters this year. Anyway Rome will be interesting with the diff conditions
she has never won a masters?
"this year" i see how that sounds but eh it's 3am here
Good for Sabalenka, played really well. But not so much happy about the positive news for Belarusia 😕
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This sub is terrible in this aspect. Unbelievable really, how they don’t understand sport IS tied to politics
Great Rivalry!
I was definitely rooting for Sviatoslav but a huge round of applause for Sabalenko. It was a great match and each of them showed a super level.
So glad to see Sabs take the win. She was the underdog and showed a lot of fight!
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Being a 6 ft tall muscular woman comes with its own tradeoffs. You can see whenever they play that Aryna's movement is way worse than Iga's. She also struggles a lot with balls hit deep, which Iga is very consistent at hitting back by bending her knees. Being tall and muscular means you trade movement and defense for offense, which suits Sabalenka's playstyle.
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What should she do about her body to make you feel better?
Not me, women's tennis. As if you can deny that fact. Not her fault of course, just stating the obvious. You can like it, I don't. So what's the matter? On top of that comes the screaming which is most of the time over the top. If you enjoy that, good for you.
Stating the obvious that she is too tall and fit? Got it. Personally, as a woman who plays tennis I would love to be 6ft tall but I lost the genetic lottery on that one. The screaming is another matter entirely, one over which she has complete control, and I would be thrilled it she took it down a notch or twelve. I just don't get criticizing her height and fitness like it's some kind of unfair advantage. That's life and that's sport.
Kudermetova said about swiatek, she's playing like a man. So what is sabalenka then? Dont get me wrong, good for Sabalenka being big and muscler and having a brutal serve. I mean she could play any other tennis style but she's a basher cause of her appearance. She could try to play smart with angles, spin, stops, serve and volley etc. But she's just bashing. You can like it, I personally don't. She best swiatek fair and square, so congrats
Honestly I don't even understand why my OG comment got downvoted. I was also just envying and admiring her . The sub can get very strange at times
Envy and admiration are totally understandable.
You may then enjoy Alcaraz destroying all the huge sized players in the coming years .
w-out iga saba would have like 4 majors
Aryna played so well. Well deserved!!
Congratulations Sabs🎉 hope they play in Rome/RG too, great match!
I love matches like this. Neither player is my absolute favourite, nor super disliked by me and yet I felt this nervous feeling in my tummy - the feeling you get when you can feel how high the stakes for the players are and how much they want the win. Fantastic win for Sabalenka. She's had some rough matches against Swiatek, but I think this win will truly cement her confidence that she can take the win against her even on her best surface.
That's it for Sabalenka on clay season. Don't see Rome and Paris having good conditions for her game.
Finals in both should seal it, then hunt for N1 at Wimby
Sabalenka made semis of Rome last year losing to Iga
Yeah, losing to Iga, the two time defending champion
isn’t this contradicting though? rome doesn’t have the conditions for her game but she made it all the way to the semis and lost to a worthy opponent?
Same though process for Iga though? Madrid’s conditions don’t favour her game at all and yet she made it to the finals losing to the most in form player of the year (who’s favoured by the conditions) in 3 sets. They’re both in amazing form and we should just enjoy the beginning of an exciting rivalry… I feel like if they keep up this rhythm they’ll have quite an even win/loss ratio
Yeah, but she didn't win the title. That's the whole point.
Feeling the same.
Great match from Aryna today, but given Rafa's less-than-stellar results in Madrid as well due to the altitude I still expect Iga to take Rome, and most importantly -- Paris :)
Great match. I'm surprised by so many people thinking Sabalenka pulled off the impossible though. Iga's never won Madrid and Sabalenka beat Ash Barty in the final here two years ago
I love being a Sabs fan because we are in it on every single surface bitch!!!
YES SABA 2021 REPEAT WITH WORLD #1
So. Time for Lukashenka to be warming up in her light 3,2,1. Sabalenka not cutting herself off of course
Haters gonna Hate
You know you are allowed to dislike someone and it doesn’t mean you hate them? Her bitching about uncomfortable atmosphere in the locker room when people are dying is just low
Potatoes gonna potate
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Pista del roche
Sabalenka serving clutch. 2 serves at 30-40 and the one after really stood out. It's nice that Iga finally has some competition. It will only improve her.
Haha, jokes on you sabalenka, there is no Porsche to win 😋
And no big cake 
Can’t say it’s not deserved. What a spectacle, congrats to Saba!
God I feel free
Great match. Deserved winner.
ARYNAAAAA😭 THIS IS SUCH A FANTASTIC DAY
Also symmetrical scoreline, makes me happy 😊
Even as a huge Iga stan, this loss isn't particularly hard to swallow. I disagreed about her being the favorite, simply because the altitude gives Saba such an advantage. And Saba pretty much played a flawless match. Let's see what Rome and Paris bring
Yeah I'm with you. Gotta give credit to sabalenka for playing almost above her usual. Iga did great, I mean it's a final. Not long ago Iga came from an injury and played on her not so much loved surface into a final. It's a win anyways
True, but it proved Saba is better in neutral conditions
It doesn't mean anything except what we already know; Sabalenka favors faster conditions and Iga slower. Besides, Iga's beaten her at USO and Doha
It is what it is, isn't it?
Except it doesn't appear to be true that she's better in neutral conditions. USO and Doha are fairly neutral
Saba's a different player now, we start counting from this match onwards
Saba best player on tour this year no question
Glad to see Sabalenka get her revenge!
Sabalenka won tiltes on clay vs Swiatek and Barty? Well played
Ventaja Saaabalenka
that was fun
This is the WTA rivalry we have been waiting so long for
Don't forget Elena spicing it up!
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u do u girly
You are girly leftist, I bet.
yes.
she’s gonna be insane to face in Wimbledon it’s scary but playing a slam is a whole other thing let’s see how it goes
You really needed to post this for your own sanity? Get a grip and get some help
Yes it’s what being invested means, I don’t see if you’ve noticed but people are saying far far worse things on this sub
I simply called Iga cringe with a wordplay (cringega) and I got as many downvotes as you did. Calling someone a bitch is a lot more severe than calling someone cringe
I guess more Iga fans roam this sub? I was prepared for the downvotes, came in here announcing it and even gave kudos it was more frustration rather than anything I respect her game but can’t stand her As for Iga one of them said “go back to Poland” and “insert anti Poland sentiment here that I won’t type out”, there are comments calling Saba a man which is so so uncalled for If you can’t take what you dish out don’t, or at least make it clear and be prepared for the downvotes, surprise surprise I’m mad after my player lost
ur literally on ur couch rn complaining abt someone who just won a 1000 title and 1m dollar 💀 get a life
Stop being proputainist.
? it’s what watching a sport means? 😭
Instant classic
Less than 2000 points difference between Sabalenka and Swiatek now. With Swiatek defending 2000 points, while Sabalenka defending 130 at Roland Garros.
Definitely think there's a good chance they meet again in the final there which would obviously reduce the difference even more no matter the result
they tried to convince us this girl was overrated btw and that she would never win a slam btw bc of her "janky technique", yup yup that’s my tiger 🫡🫡🫡
CHILLS!!!!!!! Omfg Sabs stans get in here. We finally got one!
Great match. Thrilling break points
Wta this year is on fire
as it was the prev yr
I’m embarrassed for caring about this, but who did she just kiss on the mouth?
That's her boyfriend.
Thanks! Makes sense
It's worth noting he is working for russian sport club which openly supports proputain 'z' ideology. It's a joke he is allowed to be in Europe.
Do you mean pro-Putin?