Women's tennis has found the «big three» that can save it

Iga Sviatek takes women's tennis to the next level of physical prowess. Photo: AP Photo/Christophe Ena

The Big Three have fallen. Long live the big three!

I'm not talking about promising young guys like Carlos Alcaraz, who are still too young to be considered the true heirs of Djokovic, Federer and Nadal. No, it's about the trident of strong women hacking their way through the field.

Iga Swiatek, Arina Sobolenko and Elena Rybakina represent the new WTA elite. Over the past five months, they've debunked all those pesky old complaints about one-time champions, non-existent rivalries and incoherent narratives.

Even the way they play is reinventing the sport. This year has revolutionized women's tennis in terms of the fast spins that Swiatek and Sobolenko used to shape the flight of the ball.

But let's start with storylines that are surprisingly far easier to understand.

Sunday's French Open looks like it's destined to be taken over by one of three Amigas. Together, they have a 12-month winning streak at major tournaments: Svyatek won titles in Paris and New York, Sobolenko in Melbourne, and Rybakina at Wimbledon.

“In my time, you always had one player who was ahead of everyone,” said Andrea Petkovic, a former world No. 9 who retired in September after a brilliant 15-year career. “First it was Serena [Williams] and then Naomi [Osaka] for a while. They were better to the point that even if you were a top 10 player playing your best tennis, you would still lose.

“Now it seems to me that Svyatek, Sobolenko and Rybakina are on another level. to others, and I think they'll just keep pushing each other.»

Admittedly, peak Serena Williams could probably match any of those three. But then Williams held the fort alone for decades. And the best matches of 2023 are fire from both ends of the court.

Already this season, the three big beasts of the WTA Tour have grappled seven times with their horns. In the end, perhaps, Sobalenko, a mighty Belarusian woman whose beefy biceps are reminiscent of warrior queens from the covers of fantasy books, has the best results. » /> Arina Sobolenko defeated Swiatek in the final of the Australian Open in January. Photo: AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino

The January final of the Australian Open featured a magnificent comeback for Sobalenko, who defeated Rybakina to claim her first Grand Slam title. Then last month in Madrid, she overtook Sviatek. As a result, if Swiatek doesn't defend her Roland Garros crown, Sobolenko is poised to replace her at the top of the rankings in just over two weeks.

The punching power shown during the final in Madrid prompted Daniela Hantuchova, a former world No. 5 who appeared on Amazon Prime, to confess: “I'm glad I'm not on tour anymore. They just crush the ball.»

Hantukhova cooed not only because of the speed in the air, but also because both players were bending like Beckham. As for the forehand, Sobolenko and Swiatek both average topspin speeds of 2340 and 2440 rpm, well above the female average (2120 rpm) and slightly slower than the male average (2680 rpm).

But Swiatek and Sobolenko are playing a different game . Two of the most explosive athletes the WTA Tour has produced, they don't have to worry about trade-offs between spin and speed because they generate almost the same amount of head force as your typical ATP player.

«I don't like comparing genders,» said Andy Bettles, an experienced British coach who works with Jill Teichmann of Switzerland. “But there is no doubt that fitness and athleticism on tour is constantly evolving. Iga had one of the best seasons of last year. And in the case of Sobolenko, she hits you with these ruthless powerful combinations from the serve and the first blow after her. The total weight of the shot is ridiculous.”

Kazakh Rybakina uses slightly fewer topspins – averaging 2290 rpm on a forehand – and relies more on her furious serve. Last week in the semi-final in Rome, Rybakina got into trouble against Swiatek in the semi-final in Rome and scored a series of aces and no returns that changed the course of the whole fight. Soon after, Swiatek was forced to retire due to a hip sprain.

Rybakina 'insensitive' in a court. Photo: Getty Images/Justin Setterfield

It will not go unnoticed by any of the women that Rybakina won all three of their meetings this year — a significant advantage in head-to-head meetings before the Paris tournament

«These three definitely stood out from the crowd,» said John Dolan, author of a comprehensive history of women's tennis from 1968 to 1984. “But Rybakina stands out to me especially. She is so insensitive on the court that you have no idea what she is thinking, which reminds me of Steffi Graf. And her kick is the cleanest I've seen since Mary Pierce.

«I think Rybakina has the mental edge over Swiatek at the moment,» added Dolan, who is now working head of media at the Lawn Tennis Association. “You got the impression that Iga was thinking about previous defeats when she was struggling to close out their semi-finals in Rome. As for Sobolenko, she has a lot of equipment, but no plan B, and she lost several matches this year that she should not have.

“For me, Rybakina is just getting stronger, and I have a creeping feeling that by the end of the year, she may become the first racket of the world.