The Hologic WTA Tour is experiencing a unique season, with the top players pushing each other to their limits to stay competitive. World No.2 Aryna Sabalenka took the first major of the season, and the four WTA 1000 tournaments have been won by four different players so far. Jessica Pegula believes that Iga Swiatek’s dominant 2022 season has forced her competitors to elevate their games, leading to a highly motivated, competitive field that is elevating the women’s game with every tournament. Sabalenka admitted that she keeps Swiatek in mind when she’s pushing herself through challenging workouts, as having a tangible goal can facilitate the process of improvement.
Swiatek begins her title defense in Rome, already having had two successful title defenses this season in Doha and Stuttgart. She welcomed the new level her competitors have shown this year, saying that the whole tour is moving forward and playing better and better every year. Even Pegula is level-headed about the field closing the gap this season, acknowledging the reason why Swiatek’s 2022 campaign was special. Swiatek has maintained a healthy perspective throughout this season, saying there is always room for improvement and that sometimes being consistent is enough, while at other times, players need to play perfect matches.
As the tour scurries to play catchup, the result has been a highly motivated, competitive field that is elevating the women’s game with every tournament. The players are elevating each other’s games, pushing each other to compete and win these tournaments, and showing that they want to improve. Sabalenka believes that when you have a target, big motivation, and a goal behind all those tough practices, it’s easier to keep going and stay strong, pushing yourself to the limits and improving yourself. While Swiatek sets herself apart from the competition, she is also aware that the level of competition is on the rise, and she needs to catch up and keep improving.
