Tennis

Tennis analysts were excited about the Coco Gauff vs Iga Swiatek rivalry. It could've renewed tennis game fans' interest in women's tennis, but they were disheartened at what a mismatch it turned out to be. Gauff and Swiatek met twelve times, the latter winning eleven of those matches. And it's not a good sign. 

Carlos Rodriguez, the Argentinian coach of Justine Henin and Li Na, remarked that the women's game wasn't as intense as the game twenty years before. He had a point. The 2004 US Open featured seven Top 10 players who have 18 Grand Slam titles between them. Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova, seeded ninth, defeated fellow Russian Elena Dementieval in the finals. It was Kuznetsova's first major title. On the other hand, the four Top-10 players in the 2023 US Open have seven Grand Slam titles between them. Coco Gauff won her first major title in Flushing Meadows.

Anyone who dismissed Rodriguez's observation would notice the trend these past seasons: women's matches are scheduled at late evening and end at past midnight; the season-ending WTA Finals changes venue every year or two; and Aryna Sabalenka's own admission that she prefers watching men's matches., A tennis rivalry is the only solution to this so-called crisis. History would show that there have been greater interest in women's tennis due to on-court rivalry. 

Here are the Top 3 On-Court Rivalry in the WTA Tour

Martina Navratilova vs. Chris Evert. Many sports fans admired the rivalry between Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert, which went beyond the tennis court. And  there wasn't any animosity at all. Both players were cancer survivors. Their bond became stronger.  Navratilova, the better player in the faster courts, and Evert, who had the best record in clay courts until Swiatek came along, were the perfect foil.

Many tennis fans were reminded of Roger Federer's on-court rivalry with Rafael Nadal, and their off-court friendship. And they weren't mistaken. The same thing couldn't be said of the beef between Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe or Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi. The Gauff vs. Swiatek rivalry wouldn't come close to Navratilova vs. Evert, but it might happen later in their respective careers.

Steffi Graf vs. Monica Seles. The Graf vs. Seles saga would've been memorable without the tragic incident in Hamburg during the spring of 1993. Seles was getting the upper hand in her rivalry against Graf, and one Graf fan thought of the same thing. The stabbing happened. Seles recovered from the attack, but she wasn’t the player as before. Many fans would argue that the German wouldn't have won 22 Grand Slam titles if the stabbing didn't happen - and they have a point.

Seles would be remembered as a WHAT IF case, a player who could've won 15 major titles, or more, if that tragic incident didn't happen at all. She was almost unbeatable in the women's tour for a few years, her only setback happened on the hallowed grounds of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Graf had the most Wimbledon titles after Navratilova. Gauff and Swiatek wouldn't go down to that level because the current WTA players are nicer to each other. Is it a good thing? It depends on the media or sponsor, but fans would love it. 

Serena Williams vs. Martina Hingis. The Swiss Miss was the youngest player to dominate the WTA Tour, reaching the finals of all four Grand Slam titles in 1997. Iva Majoli won the French Open, denying Hingis the calendar Grand Slam. Serena Williams was an up-and-coming player during Hingis's heyday, and the younger Williams would rule women's tennis sooner. The winner of 23 Grand Slam titles pointed out that there wasn't anything personal between her and the Swiss during their active days, emphasizing that Hingis was a very interesting opponent. And it couldn't be farther from the truth. (Power vs. precision.)  The media thought otherwise. It won't happen to Gauff and Swiatek.

The Coco Gauff vs Iga Swiatek rivalry is still far to happen, or turn into a (mouth-watering) reality, because the Polish star is comfortable on clay. In fact, there hasn't been anyone who is so at home in dirt other than Chris Evert. Swiatek has had success on hard courts, winning the US Open in 2022, but the Australian Open seems to be elusive.

On the other end, the US media loves Gauff. They were reminded of the Williams sisters, and the American didn't disappoint. What do Serena Williams and Coco Gauff have in common? They won their first Grand Slam title at 19. They raised their first major trophy in Flushing Meadows. Both Gauff and Swiatek are young, so many would expect to reach their dominant selves a few years later. And fans are waiting for it. 

3 Reasons Why the Coco Gauff vs Iga Swiatek rivalry is good for women's tennis

It would renew interest in the WTA Tour. The 2021 US Open Finals featured Emma Raducano and Leylah Fernandez, two up-and-coming players in the women's tour. Many buzzed about the bright future that awaited the two, but it didn't turn out what they were hoping for. It remains to be seen if Raducanu can duplicate her success in New York, less win another tennis tournament. Fernandez, on the other hand, has had moderate success ever since.

There have been too many major winners in the women's tour in the finals, which is not really a good thing. Sports is about rivalry. It will generate fanfare, even talk about long after that rivalry is gone. The Gauff vs. Swiatek rivalry could be the one to save the WTA Tour from a doldrum. 

The WTA Finals won't be held in Saudi Arabia. Ever. Many criticize the WTA for agreeing to hold the season-ending WTA Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, a 180-degree-turn that left former players enraged and puzzled. However, tennis, or most sports, need sponsorship to survive. And the WTA must choose between Saudi Arabia and China. It's hard to tell if this is the case of which is the lesser evil, but WTA must have followed ATP. (The Next Gen ATP Finals is held in Jeddah.) The big names in golf did the same thing, which resulted in a  dysfunctional, if not contentious, relationship between the pro-LIV Golf and the pro-PGA golfers. It hasn't happened in tennis. Yet. But many cities would be glad to host the WTA Finals IF Gauff and Swiatek are the dominant players in the women's tour. 

More women's matches will be played at prime time. It's a fact that more ment's matches are played at prime time. It's not that women's tennis isn't interesting, but there are less fans who are willing to buy tickets and watch women's matches up and close.

The women's finals of this year's Mutua Madrid featured a tantalizing match between Iga Swiatek and Aryna Salalenka. The Pole won the finals in three close sets, prompting her to remark that women's tennis would be as entertaining, and good, as men's tennis. But the two don't get to meet in the finals of major WTA tournaments. Often. It's the same thing with Gauff and Swiatek, but it could happen in the hard courts. Gauff's only happened in Cincinnati last year. The American won the US Open a few weeks later. 

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