Sabalenka and Gauff agree on one thing: Their rivalry is a grind.
“We’ve played so many matches, and it’s physical when I play her every time,” Gauff says. “It’s going to be tough.”
“With Coco, you know that you have to play an extra ball, and the ball always comes back,” Sabalenka says. “Sometimes not perfect, but it’s always back on your side, and you have to be aggressive, you have to go for shots.”
“She pushes you into the long rallies, and I think that’s what makes her difficult.”
