Exclusive: Barbara Schett considers Aryna Sabalenka as ‘biggest’ threat to Iga Swiatek’s dominance in 2024

Barbara Schett believes Aryna Sabalenka will provide the biggest challenge to world No. 1 Iga Swiatek in 2024.

Swiatek began and ended 2023 as world No. 1, but it was wrestled from the Polish star by Sabalenka midway through the season.

While there are a host of players clawing at the heels of Swiatek, Eurosport expert Schett feels the biggest challenge will come from Sabalenka.

“I think on the hard courts, it has to be somebody who hits the ball extremely hard, who has a lot of pace, who can put her (Swiatek) under pressure and have a big service,” Schett said when asked about the threats to Swiatek’s dominance.

“That is a [Elena] Rybakina, that is a Sabalenka. That has to be Coco Gauff. I would throw [Jessica] Pegula in the mix as we’ll see how she’s going to play, but she’s capable of doing that. Maybe [Karolina] Muchova is somebody who can do that, who can also maybe mix it up a little bit but has a bit more pace than Ons Jabeur.

“Yeah, I think those players I’ve mentioned are going to be the biggest rivals. But if I had to choose one, I think it would be Sabalenka.”

Sabalenka will arrive at the Australian Open as the defending champion and will fancy her chances on the fast courts in Melbourne. But on the clay of Paris, Schett feels Swiatek will reign supreme and target a big double in the French capital in 2024.

“We know that she (Swiatek) feels comfortable at Roland Garros,” Schett said. “She feels most comfortable, most comfortable on clay, I think, with her spin on the forehand, with the backhand, and she can flatten it out.

“Yes, she’s going to feel the pressure, but she’s going to feel the pressure everywhere. It’s a matter of how you deal with it.

“I think she will be very excited to play the Olympics in Paris as well, where she’s had so much success.

“It reminds me a little bit of Andy Murray when the Olympics were in London, in Wimbledon, and he’s done well. I think she’s going to embrace that and imagine if she could win the French Open and the Olympics at Roland Garros? That would be incredible. And I think that’s something which is on her radar.

“I think that’s something she would like to achieve as well. I’m not too worried about her, to be honest at the French Open, the biggest challenge or the bigger challenges are going to be the other Grand Slams for her.”

Schett feels the biggest obstacle for Swiatek could be a mental one.

“I see her winning big titles again,” Schett said. “For her, probably the year was pretty average in terms of Grand Slams. She only won one. I would be happy to win one Grand Slam title in the past, but she’s just won one. And I think that’s the main focus, that she brings her best tennis.

“With Iga, I always feel like it’s a matter of her mental approach, how much she believes in herself. It shows the way she hits her forehand, sometimes she can get a little bit shaky on that shot when she has doubts.

“So if she’s fresh mentally, if she believes in herself, she’s going to be hard to beat.”