Mats Wilander has been racking his brain, desperately trying to think of who could possibly challenge Aryna Sabalenka for the Roland Garros title.
And, in the end, he settled on two names.
However, after watching the way in which the world number one dismantled Naomi Osaka tonight with incredible power and precision, it’s hard to imagine how anyone could trouble her.
Aryna Sabalenka is soaring, yet Wilander did manage to conjure one potential threat to her title ambitions.
Mats Wilander thinks one player could trouble Aryna Sabalenka at Roland Garros
Of the players left standing in the draw, Wilander narrowed the challengers down to just two players.
And, ironically, they face one another in the quarter-finals in the coming days.
He spoke live on TNT Sports: “I think it’s Svitolina and Kostyuk. Out of the two, it’s probably most likely Kostyuk. She is a bit younger, and she is scary because she is fast and strong. She hits the ball hard on both sides. She has a really good attitude and her serve has improved a lot.
Who is Aryna Sabalenka’s biggest threat for the Roland Garros title now?
“She, to me, is the total package. She, to me, is completely unafraid, whereas I am a little concerned that Elina Svitolina would be a little intimidated by the style of Sabalenka, whereas I don’t think Kostyuk would be at all.
“Out of the eight names I would go with Kostyuk.”
Sabalenka spoke about playing Osaka on a night session straight after her win, having proven her ability to perform no matter the conditions. It really feels like nobody can stop her.
Aryna Sabalenka’s head-to-head record vs Marta Kostyuk
Despite this being her true breakout year, Marta Kostyuk has actually faced Sabalenka on five occasions.
However, if Wilander’s claim is to have any credence and the Ukrainian was to challenge the Belarusian, it would take a huge divergence from the status quo.
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After all, of those five matches, Sabalenka has won them all, including their most recent meeting in Brisbane earlier this year.
In fact, Kostyuk has never even taken a set off the world number one.
If she were to win Roland Garros by beating Sabalenka, it would take a monumental effort, and arguably be one of the biggest shocks in recent memory.
