Sabalenka revealed who she considers the best player she has faced, and whether her muscular physique is a flaw in being world number one.

Who does Sabalenka consider the best player she has met as the current world number one? The Belarusian athlete personally disclosed the answer right before the new season kicked off!

Before the answer was revealed, the general consensus named four players when asked who Sabalenka had met as the best opponent: Swiatek, Keys, Gauff, and Rybakina.

Swiatek was ranked first mainly because the Polish player holds an 8-5 lead in their head-to-head record; Keys, Gauff, and Rybakina were also mentioned since each of them defeated the Belarusian decisively in finals of three major events this year—Keys at the Australian Open, Gauff at the French Open, and Rybakina at the Riyadh year-end championship.

However, in a recent interview, when Sabalenka was asked who the best opponents she has faced in her career are, she named only two players, including Swiatek, excluding Keys, Gauff, and Rybakina entirely.

It did not surprise many that Sabalenka considers Swiatek one of the best players she has faced, as their matches are always fiercely competitive.

Even when Swiatek was not in top form at this year’s French Open, Sabalenka still found it difficult to secure a straightforward win. Their previous encounters have produced many memorable, intense battles that left strong impressions.

Sabalenka and Swiatek’s rivalry began at the 2021 year-end championships, marking their first career meeting, with the Belarusian emerging victorious.

Since then, they have frequently clashed on the tour. Each match has been thrilling and closely contested, making their rivalry a cherished highlight for fans and followers who eagerly hope to see more encounters between them.

When Swiatek spoke about competing against Sabalenka, the Polish player confirmed that the Belarusian is indeed one of her toughest opponents: "When we play, it’s a challenge. I believe it pushes me to become a better player, so I think we both need each other to grow. And surely, this rivalry is exciting for the fans."

So, who is the second-best player Sabalenka has faced in her eyes? The legendary queen, Serena Williams!

In fact, Sabalenka and Serena have only met once, at the 2021 Australian Open, where the Belarusian lost a hard-fought three-set match to the queen.

Many fans agree that Sabalenka naming Serena as one of the best players she has faced makes perfect sense, not only because of Serena’s undeniable strength but also because Sabalenka has previously expressed that the 23-time Grand Slam champion is the strongest female player in her view, incomparable to anyone else.

While Sabalenka’s announcement that Swiatek and Serena are the best players she has faced stirred much discussion, another interesting topic arose: Is the muscle on the world number one her original flaw?

This topic came up after Ukrainian player Kostyuk recently hinted that Sabalenka’s strong physique might be due to some form of hormone use.

Following this, with Sabalenka’s response, the two engaged in a minor verbal dispute online. This sparked the debate about whether Sabalenka’s impressive power and strength are aided by technology or other means, implying her muscular build might be controversial.

Soon after, fans and netizens presented data and firmly stated that Sabalenka’s hard work and sweat should not be ignored, and her muscles are definitely not a flaw.

The data showed that Sabalenka spends over 15 hours weekly on targeted strength training; in the past 12 months, she has undergone 28 drug tests without a single issue.

In response, some people expressed admiration, saying that seeing these figures makes it clear Sabalenka’s muscular physique is the result of intense training, and she couldn’t have passed so many tests by mere luck!(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Moon River’s Starry Sky)