Greg Rusedski has raised concerns about a potential challenge facing women’s tennis in the near future.
The rise of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner has added to this feeling, with their recent form giving some fans the sense that men’s tennis is becoming a two-man show.
Rusedski pushed back on those claims, suggesting that men’s tennis actually has an edge over the women’s game at the moment.
“There could be a problem in the next five years,” Rusedski said on the Tennis Channel Podcast. “I think there are less superstars in general.”
Greg Rusedski says something is lacking in women’s tennis right now
Rusedski has also spoken out about the idea of a Battle of the Sexes match between Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios, something he discussed again on the Off Court with Greg podcast.
During that podcast, he brought up the famous rivalry between Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert, suggesting that this is what women’s tennis is missing right now. Meanwhile, the men’s side has Alcaraz versus Sinner.
“I believe this to be true. Somebody told me Martina Navratilova years ago, when she was world number one, got offered $1 million to do that [take on a man] and she decided against that,” revealed Rusedski. “She decided that it wasn’t for the good of the game. This is the tricky thing, we are all talking about it, so it is bringing eyeballs to it. So as a tennis purist, I’m not sure it’s the best thing.”
“If we had a rivalry — that’s really what’s missing. Looking ahead to 2026 there could be one in place. Rybakina is back in form now, Madison Keys just won her first major this year. Coco Gauff won at Roland Garros and Sabalenka took home another major at Flushing Meadows,” said Rusedski.
“All four could find themselves facing off regularly soon enough — which would help establish an elite core. But it’s yet to happen organically for them.”
How often have Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek faced each other?
The WTA Tour is currently led by Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek, who most recently added a Wimbledon title to her impressive list of achievements.
Their only meeting in 2025 came during the semifinals at Roland-Garros, although they still haven’t crossed paths in a major final.
It’s worth noting that Rusedski might have a point. Since 2020, only one matchup has been repeated more than once in a Grand Slam final: Coco Gauff vs Sabalenka.
Sabalenka and Swiatek did win Match of the Year for their Madrid Open final in 2024. That kind of intensity could be exactly what the WTA needs to build around right now.
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