The world’s number one female tennis player was unexpectedly compared to male players

In a conversation on the YouTube channel First and Red, former world number one Yevgeny Kafelnikov was asked a controversial question: whether Iga Swiatek plays a style of tennis "like men." According to Kafelnikov, most of the Polish player’s opponents usually let her play comfortably, while Sabalenka has a strong, fast-paced attacking style that causes much more difficulty.

"I can speak about what I have observed over the last two to three years, that most of Swiatek’s opponents allow her to play the tennis she wants," Kafelnikov stated on Tennis Gazette.

"But they don’t possess shots as powerful as Aryna Sabalenka. When Sabalenka faces Swiatek, it’s a completely different story. Against other opponents, Swiatek can impose her style, adjust the power and rhythm of the match. But when facing Sabalenka, everything flips. Aryna can hold her serve without using too much energy."

Because of this explosive style of play, Sabalenka is being compared to some male players. Although these comparisons often cause major debates and many remain doubtful when discussing female players’ dominance in the context of men’s tennis, Kafelnikov believes Sabalenka has a serve stronger than some male professional players currently competing.

In reality, these opinions partly reflect Sabalenka’s increasingly firm position on the global tennis map. She not only has excellent physical condition and a blazing attacking style but also brings a distinctive style that creates special attraction every time she competes. With her current stability, Sabalenka is proving she is capable of challenging all limits and at the same time becoming the biggest competitor to Swiatek in the race to dominate women’s tennis in the near future.