Barbora Krejcikova aims to disrupt ‘big three’ talk at Miami Open, says she doesn’t ‘want to be forgotten’

Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina have been the standout players of 2023 on the WTA Tour. World No. 1 Swiatek seems to remain a cut above, albeit she hasn’t been as dominant as last year, and Sabalenka and Rybakina have faced each other in the finals of the two biggest tournaments so far, the Australian Open and Indian Wells.

Perhaps on the level just below Swiatek, Sabalenka and Rybakina this year has been Barbora Krejcikova, who intends to change that.

The 2021 French Open champion ended Sabalenka’s perfect start to the season in Dubai, then beat Swiatek in straight sets in the final. She also knocked off third seed Jessica Pegula to become only the fifth player in WTA history to beat the reigning top three in a single tournament.

No wonder world No. 13 Krejcikova feels like she deserves a place at the top table in women’s tennis.

“What else should I do? How should I prove it again?

“This week, again I’m here and I’m going to prove it again so that I get into this ‘top three’. I want to be mentioned as well. I want to be recognised as well because I think I deserve it. I’ve had a lot of success on the tour and I just don’t get the credit.”

Her singles play continues to be combined with doubles success, lifting her seventh women’s doubles Grand Slam title at the Australian Open as well as winning Indian Wells.

But this week her focus is on getting her name into the conversation for top singles players along with Swiatek, Sabalenka and Rybakina.

“It’s a big motivation. I don’t want to be forgotten somewhere in the shade of these three big players. They are playing well and are playing great, but I feel I’m playing well as well.

“I feel like I deserve the recognition from the media and I’m not getting it. I guess I just have to win more matches and prove to everybody that I’m there as well.”

Krejcikova’s chance to prove herself will come quickly as she meets Sabalenka for the third straight WTA 1000 tournament in the Miami Open last 16.

Sabalenka leads their head-to-head record 3-1 after avenging the Dubai defeat with victory in Indian Wells this month.

“I’m very excited,” said Krejcikova about the meeting.

“She’s on top of the game right now. She’s the last Slam champion. Her tennis is really interesting and I like to play against her because her shots are one of the fastest ones and the same with her serve and return. She’s very aggressive.

“It’s a really nice opportunity to play because I feel that my tennis is also improving and I feel like I have a big shot, a big chance against her.”

She also backed Krejcikova as a leading member of women’s tennis right now.

“I was thinking the same, why is everyone saying it’s three of us? No, it’s four of us,” Sabalenka said.

“She’s doing really well and playing really consistently.

“It’s four of us, I would say. I really want to see it keep going. I think we’re all going to do what we can to keep it going.”

Pegula: That could also be me

If Krejcikova could be a ‘big three’ disruptor then could the same be said for Jessica Pegula?

Ranked at No. 3 in the world, Pegula has had a solid year, reaching the quarter-finals of the Australian Open, final in Qatar, semis in Dubai, and last 16 at Indian Wells.

She is still chasing a first Grand Slam title and says her outlook doesn’t change despite the rise of Sabalenka and Rybakina.

“It’s always to me the same mentality,” she said. “I don’t think it really matters who’s winning or who’s losing because you’re starting yourself in a draw, and you have to win your match. You have to win the next one and the next one and the next one etc.

“I think there’s always going to be someone. That just shows the depth in the women’s game, that anyone can step up and kind of take over. I think that’s really cool that we have all these kind of big players, star power in the game.

“I think it gives me confidence, as well, that that could also be me. If I could really go deep here, that would be awesome, yeah.”

Pegula faces Magda Linette in the last 16 in Miami.

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