Iga Swiatek and Ons Jabeur aim to get back on track at Indian Wells

10.03.2023 - 09:29 thenationalnews.com

They were the two standout players on the WTA Tour last season, featuring in three of the four Grand Slam finals between them, leading the rankings, and amassing more match wins than anyone else.

Now as Iga Swiatek and Ons Jabeur prepare to get their campaigns at Indian Wells under way on Friday, both will be aiming to overcome recent setbacks, albeit from very different stages of their seasons.

Swiatek last year established herself as the undisputed dominant force of women's tennis, winning eight titles - including Roland Garros and the US Open - and topping the world rankings with more than double the points of second-ranked Jabeur.

Perhaps the Pole set the bar too high, because the start to this season has been comparatively mixed. A surprise fourth-round defeat at the Australian Open, even if it was to eventual finalist Elena Rybakina, was followed by a rampant march to the Qatar Open title, clinched for the loss of just five games.

tennis on Elena Rybakina Iga Swiatek Roland Garros Barbora Krejcikova Qatar France Usa Australia India Dubai

Martina Navratilova has backed Carlos Alcaraz and Elena Rybakina to complete the 'Sunshine Double' as both players look to add Miami Open titles to their respective Indian Wells triumphs. Alcaraz dispatched Daniil Medvedev in impressive fashion to claim the former earlier in the month and faces Tommy Paul in the fourth round in Miami after breezing through the first two rounds. Ad Rybakina triumphed at Indian Wells after beating Aryna Sabalenka in the final and is into the quarter-finals of the Miami Open after beating Elise Martins to set up a match with Martina Trevisan.

Ons Jabeur hoping to 'make trouble' for Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina on return to fitness

The WTA Tour this season has so far been about three players: Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabelanka and Elena Rybakina. Ons Jabeur is hoping to change that. Ad Jabeur made two Grand Slam finals in 2022 and finished the year as No.

Iga Swiatek Miami Open injury absence 'might be a good thing for her tennis', reckons Mats Wilander

Iga Swiatek's absence from the Miami Open due to a rib injury «might be a good thing for her tennis», believes Mats Wilander. Swiatek lost comprehensively in the semi-finals of last week's Indian Wells to Elena Rybakina, and talked after that match of the problems she had experienced in coping with the muscle strain. Ad It looked doubtful she would compete in Miami, and that proved the case as she announced her withdrawal on Wednesday.

Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina could be women's tennis 'big three' ahead of Miami Open

As the era of the men’s 'big three' winds down — or metamorphoses into something slightly different — could there be a 'big three' starting to form in women’s tennis? In 2022, there was clearly one player who was head and shoulders above the rest: Iga Swiatek. Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina look to be catching up. Ad Wimbledon champion Rybakina has highlighted her qualities by crushing world No.

Rybakina beats Sabalenka to win Indian Wells WTA title

INDIAN WELLS, California: Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina edged Aryna Sabalenka 7-6 (13/11), 6-4 on Sunday to win the Indian Wells WTA title and avenge her loss to the Belarusian in the Australian Open final. Kazakhstan’s Rybakina, the world number 10 who ousted top-ranked defending champion Iga Swiatek in the semifinals, followed up with her first victory over second-ranked Sabalenka in five career meetings. While Sabalenka had the edge from the baseline in a hard-fought battle, Rybakina’s fierce pressure saw the serve demons that beset Sabalenka last year resurface.

Medvedev beats Tiafoe to set up final match with Alcaraz at Indian Wells

INDIAN WELLS, California: Dialed-in Daniil Medvedev suppressed a late surge from Frances Tiafoe to beat the American 7-5, 7-6 (7/4) on Saturday and reach the Indian Wells final for the first time. Sixth-ranked Medvedev, coming off ATP titles in Rotterdam, Doha and Dubai in the space of three weeks, pushed his win streak to 19 matches and awaits the winner of the other semifinal between top-seeded Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz and 13th-ranked Italian Jannik Sinner. Alcaraz, 19, and 21-year-old Sinner are 2-2 in four prior meetings, but it was Alcaraz who came out on top in their most dramatic clash — a five-set US Open quarter-final that lasted five hours and 15 minutes, its 2:50 a.m.