The so-called ‘Big Four’ of women’s tennis converge at this week’s Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships with Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina set to face off.
World No 1 Swiatek is the player in red-hot form as she sealed her third successive Qatar Open title with a straight-sets victory over Rybakina in Doha over the weekend.
Swiatek became the first player since Serena Williams at the Miami Open (2013-15) to win the same WTA tournament three years running – and all eyes turn now to Dubai on the Middle East swing.
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Highlights of the Qatar Open final between Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina
In Dubai, the world’s top four players will contest the same event for the first time since the Australian Open.
Swiatek is joined by Sabalenka, who is set to play her first tournament since winning the title in Melbourne, reigning US Open champion Gauff and Rybakina – and you can watch all the drama unfold live on Sky Sports Tennis.
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Tuesday 20th February 7:00am
Sabalenka craving success on heels of Melbourne triumph
Sabalenka returns to action having sealed back-to-back Australian Open titles
Sabalenka said it is in her nature to keep striving for success and that she has become addicted to that winning feeling.
The Belarusian won her second Grand Slam title with a 6-3 6-2 victory over Zheng Qinwen last month, becoming the first woman in 11 years to retain the Melbourne Park crown, and the 25-year-old said there is no chance she will rest on her laurels.
“My mindset is to keep doing what I’m doing, keep fighting, keep working. After my career, to look back and think, ‘whoa, I was able to achieve that. That’s crazy,'” said Sabalenka, who begins her Dubai campaign on Tuesday against Donna Vekic.
“I’m not the type person that’s going to win something and stop. I’m addicted to wins.
“I feel like it’s just something in my blood and I keep doing, keep working and hopefully keep winning.”
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Highlights of the US Open final between Coco Gauff against Aryna Sabalenka at Flushing Meadows in New York
Among the most consistent players on the tour, Sabalenka has reached at least the semi-final stage of the previous six Grand Slams and she said the decision to drop her psychologist in 2022 has been a key factor in her progress.
“I feel like no one knows yourself better than you,” she said. “That was the best decision to start. It’s tough to say because it’s been a long process.
“In the end, the only one thing helping me is just myself, just stop expecting people to fix my problems, start fixing my problems myself. I think that brought much more confidence and much more control.”
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Sky Sports will broadcast more live tennis than anywhere else, bringing over 4,000 matches from more than 80 tournaments a year on the ATP and WTA Tours, as well as full coverage of the US Open, all exclusively live.
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