It’s raining victories and titles for Iga Swiatek, who’s on cloud nine! The Pole defeated Aryna Sabalenka to win her third Italian Open title, as the Pole came out on top once again in a battle between the top two in the women’s rankings following her Madrid Open triumph earlier this month. Subsequently, after the victory, the world number one celebrated her success with a boastful message.

When asked if she is the favorite for Roland Garros after Serena Williams at the post-match press conference. She said, “Well, I’m No. 1 so I’m the favorite everywhere if you look at rankings. But rankings don’t play, so… I’ll do everything step by step and we’ll see.”

While the four-time Grand Slam champion acknowledged that, in terms of ranking position, she kind of knows that she is a favorite everywhere, at the same time, she also has a reality check ready: to stay in those positions, she has to continuously step up the game again and again.

With her consistent wins leading up to this month’s French Open, where she is a three-time champion, the world number one sent a warning to her competitors with her 21st career championship at the Italian Open. However, following her triumph in Rome, the 22-year-old tennis star also underlined the significance of maintaining humility. She doesn’t take her French Open victory for granted, even in spite of her accomplishment.

The Pole is, nevertheless, the overwhelming favorite to win the Grand Slam competition and successfully defend her title. She stated, “Grand Slams are different. There’s a different pressure on the court and off the court. Of course, I love to come to Paris and be there. It a great place for me to be, and I really enjoy my time there. But these are a hard seven matches that you need to win, so I don’t take anything for granted.”

She will, however, be up against Sabalenka, a formidable opponent whom she has already beaten in Rome and Madrid, and they are eager to battle each other again at Roland Garros. After the Pole defeated her to win the Italian Open, the Australian Open winner issued a strong warning about her plans for the French Open, standing tall against the Pole.

Aryna Sabalenka’s warning to Iga Swiatek ahead of the French Open 

Overwhelmed by the close loss, the second-ranked tennis player in the world spoke about Swiatek during her runner-up address. She said, “This time I’m not gonna forget, I’m gonna start with Iga. Congrats on an incredible couple of weeks here in Rome. Great stuff; great tennis.”

Further, she added, “And I hope we’re gonna make it to the final of Roland Garros, and I’m gonna get you there. Just kidding. I guess I’ll try to do better than today.” The 22-year-old tennis sensation was given a playful warning by the two-time Grand Slam champion that she would be dethroned at this year’s French Open if she continued to work on her game.

Nevertheless, what do you think about the rising rivalry between the two WTA players? Do let us know in the comment section below.