Iga Swiatek backed to return to world number one despite disappointing season so far

At WTA 1000 level, Swiatek has suffered early exits in Miami and Madrid, while only reaching one semifinal at the Italian Open.

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Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina and Iga Swiatek are all out of form…

Though she hired Rafael Nadal’s former coach Francisco Roig earlier this season, it has not quite worked out with the Spaniard yet, with her failed Wimbledon title defence being the latest disappointment in their partnership.

Swiatek lost to Alex Eala in the third round of the Championships, resulting in her ranking dropping to world number eight, but former WTA Finals winner Dominika Cibulkova thinks the six-time major champion can get back to the top spot.

Dominika Cibulkova discusses Iga Swiatek’s recent form

“I am cheering for Iga Swiatek,” said Cibulkova in an interview with Tennis 365.

“I think the matches when she’s losing, she’s losing against herself. So, I think when she’s there mentally, and when she’s ready, and when she’s tough and strong, there are not many players that can beat her.

“It’s all about confidence. Of course, you have to train hard and practise a lot, but yes, the confidence.

“If you are not in the right mood, you can lose the confidence by one match.

“I think, for sure, she can get back to No 1. I’m pretty sure that she can get back there.”

Cibulkova also had high praise for world number one Aryna Sabalenka, but admitted she prefers Swiatek.

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The Slovak said: “Sabalenka is strong. When I look from my perspective… I played against her when I was finishing my career, and she’s a powerhouse.

“She’s a great player, but my favourite is Swiatek.”

The current state of the WTA rankings ahead of the US Open

The top ten in the WTA rankings changed a fair bit after Wimbledon, though Sabalenka kept her place as the world number one.

An opportunity had presented itself for Elena Rybakina to leapfrog Sabalenka in SW19, but the Kazakh crashed out in the third round and remains second in the world.

Coco Gauff enjoyed a career-best run at Wimbledon by advancing to the semifinals which saw her go from seventh to world number four, just behind American compatriot Jessica Pegula in third.

French Open champion Mirra Andreeva is still fifth, while Wimbledon finalists Karolina Muchova and Linda Noskova are now sixth and seventh, respectively.

Trailing eighth-placed Swiatek is Amanda Anisimova, who dropped from sixth to ninth with a third-round exit at the All England Club after making the final last season.

Elina Svitolina makes up the final spot in the top ten, though in-form Marta Kostyuk is not far behind in 11th.