Aryna Sabalenka dishes on 'more chill' relationship with 'really nice person' Iga Swiatek

Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek added a few more pages to the fast-growing novel that is their on-court rivalry in 2024, from contesting one of the WTA's best matches of the year in Madrid to Swiatek even declaring that the two "need each other to grow" during Roland Garros.

But as the 2025 season looms in earnest, the WTA's two top players have also recently been redefining their relationship off the court: from making TikToks together to teaming up for practices.

The pair, who swapped places in the rankings in October, first gave fans a glimpse of a budding friendship at the year-end WTA Finals in Riyadh, where they teamed up for a practice and even filmed some candid content for Sabalenka's preferred social media channel. That continued into the offseason in the Middle East, where they both participated in the World Tennis League team exhibition event: Before going their separate ways to Australia, the two major-winners teamed up for another training session.

"Keeping each other on our toes," quipped Sabalenka in sharing a clip of the two doing agility exercises together.

And speaking to reporters ahead of the season-opening Brisbane International, where she is the defending finalist, Sabalenka, the more gregarious of the two, said that the good feelings that now exist between her and her chief rival are not just for the cameras.

"I thought we have to stay together and have fun and just enjoy our rivalry, not be too tough on each other," the two-time reigining Australian Open winner said.

"So I asked [her to train with me] and we did it. Then I was doing fitness after our hit. She was like, I can join you guys. We filmed it and posted it.

"It's been becoming more chilled between us, too. I have to say she's a really nice person. It was fun to get to know each other."

Sabalenka and Swiatek last faced each other since the semifinals of the Cincinnati Open in August, a match won by Sabalenka on her way to the title, but will be the top two seeds at Melbourne Park, where Sabalenka is bidding to become the first woman since Martina Hingis in 1997-99 to win three straight titles Down Under.

Read more: Will Aryna Sabalenka win a non-hard-court major in 2025?

But she says she "prefer[s] to stay focused on [herself]," and is not thinking about matching the Swiss legend nor Swiatek, and the rest of the field, nipping at her heels in the WTA rankings.

"I don't want to talk ahead, then lose everything in first round, be not in a good place," Sabalenka said. "But, no, it doesn't make any difference. Like doesn't matter what's your ranking. Anyway, you have to go there, compete, fight, do your best. It doesn't matter whether you're 1, 2, 3 or 100."

The top seed will open her campaign on New Year's Eve in Brisbane against Mexico's Renata Zarazua.