After Serena Williams retired, questions loomed large: Who would fill the void left in women’s tennis? And would any player be able to achieve a similar level of dominance?
Now, a trio of players has emerged and proven ready to pick up the mantle.
Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina, the top three ranked players in the world, have combined to win the last five majors. And their collective success has created a legendary comparison from some of the sport’s most respected voices.
“There are three players now that could be the [Roger] Federer, [Rafael] Nadal and [Novak] Djokovic of women’s tennis, and we know who they are: Iga, Aryna and Elena,” Chris Evert, the 18-time major champion and ESPN analyst, said in March.
“I see a rivalry with those three that could be very interesting. We thought when Serena retired, ‘Oh, my gosh, women’s tennis is in trouble, and where’s the next champion going to come from?’ I think we’re looking at where the next champion is going to come from — if not three great champions.”
So, how did…
