Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, or Elena Rybakina? Former WTA star picks favourite player

Elena Rybakina has been picked as former WTA star Julia Goerges’ favourite current player ahead of Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina.

Former world No 9 Goerges was one of the most respected WTA players of her era, winning seven WTA titles and reaching the last four of Wimbledon in 2018.

The German retired from the sport in 2020 after a 15-year-long professional career and has been an avid spectator since.

Since her retirement in 2020, Swiatek, Sabalenka, and Rybakina have developed into some of the dominant forces on the WTA Tour.

Current world No 1 Sabalenka is a winner of three Grand Slam singles titles, while world No 2 Swiatek has won five major titles – and has spent 150 weeks atop the WTA Rankings.

In contrast, current world No 6 Rybakina has not matched Swiatek and Sabalenka’s achievements.

However, the Kazakh has proven a strong rival for both women and has reached a career-high of world No 3 – alongside winning Wimbledon in 2022.

Speaking to Tennis Magazine in Germany, Goerges described Rybakina as a player who “plays” to win big matches, and who possesses a game that could see her threaten more at majors in the future.

She said: “I really like Elena Rybakina because I can relate to her way of playing tennis.

“She plays without compromise. Unlike her groundstrokes and her serve, she can do better at the net.

“I like those sharp, saturated shots and that good serve. I think that’s how you win Grand Slam tournaments. Rybakina doesn’t hope for it, she plays for it.

“I really like Iga Swiatek athletically, with the way she moves. I haven’t seen Aryna Sabalenka for a while. She trains incredibly hard and has been improving over the years.

“She [Sabalenka] fully deserves her place at the top of the world rankings – but if I had to pick one, it would be Rybakina.”