Tennis News: Iga Swiatek, Boris Becker and Ben Shelton
- Swiatek joins an elite group
- Becker favors Shelton over another young player
By Lee Vowell
Iga Swiatek has been in control of the WTA for most of two years. She only gave up her No. 1 ranking for a short time late in 2023. She was able to regain that ranking by winning the WTA Finals. She will need to do the same thing again this year.
After a successful run at the Wuhan Open, Aryna Sabalenka will become the WTA No. 1 on October 21. Her win was coupled with Swiatek withdrawing from a couple of tournaments so that the Pole was dropping points from last year and the Belarusian was gaining points. Sabalenka will have a small lead heading into the 2024 WTA Finals.
Still, Swiatek has now had two runs of being ranked No. 1 for 50 weeks or more. Only six other women have accomplished that feat. The list includes Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Serena Williams, Steffi Graf, Monica Seles, and Martina Hingis. Evert, Navratilova, Williams, and Graf all won at least 18 Grand Slams.
Iga Swiatek accomplishes a feat few have and Boris Becker is high on Ben Shelton
Swiatek has won five so far, but she is also only 23 years old. Even when she loses the top ranking next week, she will likely be able to regain it. She could make another 50-week run at No. 1 if and when she does.
In ATP news, the Big 4 era is done, of course. Only Novak Djokovic will be left playing in 2025, and even he has not made any commitments to how much longer he will keep playing. The Serb did not win a major this year, however, as men's tennis appears to be firmly in the grasp of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.
Men's tennis normally does a bit better in popularity when there are more than two players dominating the game, though. A new Big 3 (or Big 4) would do the sport good. But who would join Sinner and Alcaraz?
dark. Next. Coco Gauff and Matt Daly seem like a perfect match. Coco Gauff and Matt Daly seem like a perfect match
Boris Becker believes that player will be Ben Shelton. Speaking with Gazzetta dello Sport, Becker dismissed Holger Rune, his former protege, for Shelton, as Becker said the Dane "hasn't made much progress." Shelton only made it past the fourth round in one Masters 1000 or Grand Slam event in 2024, though. He made the quarterfinals of the Cincinnati Open.
Becker said, "...we need a (Rafael) Nadal to complete the new Big Three. And another player to follow the Fab Four. The one closest to reaching the top for me is Ben Shelton. The most ready, at first, seemed to be Holger Rune, but this year he hasn’t made much progress. I watched the American (Shelton) for a long time in the Laver Cup, in singles and doubles, and I liked his attitude. He smiles, he puts on a show, he entertains and he has fun."
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