The two haven’t met at a major since Swiatek rallied from a break down in the third set of their 2022 US Open semi, a tournament Iga would go on to win. 

Sabalenka’s improved serve and outright power make her especially vicious on hard courts, exemplified by her 6-3 6-3 breeze of Swiatek in the Cincinnati semis a few months ago.

Alexander Zverev v Daniil Medvedev

Medvedev leads 12-7

Can you believe the next time these two meet it will be match No.20 between them? 

Zverev swept their opening four matches in 2016-2018, but since then it’s been near one-way traffic as Medvedev has collected 12 of their 15 battles.

None are as memorable, perhaps, as Medvedev’s back-from-the-brink effort at AO 2024, when Daniil clawed out of a two-sets-to-love deficit.

There is no love lost between these two, who have never been the closest of friends. But that AO meeting in January was their lone meeting in 2024, and Zverev has shown more consistency with his own serve, having once been handcuffed by double faults. 

That five-setter in Rod Laver Arena was their first Grand Slam meeting; let’s hope it’s not their last.

Novak Djokovic v Carlos Alcaraz

Djokovic leads 4-3

Nearly every chapter of this seven-stanza showdown has been mouthwatering, from their first clash captured by Alcaraz in front of home fans in Madrid, to two Wimbledon finals, to Djokovic’s dramatic stand for his historic Olympic gold in Paris. 

READ MORE: Djokovic’s career CV complete with Olympic gold

Alcaraz has done what many in the generation just above him have failed to do: create uncertainty in Djokovic’s mind. And he’s done it with his out-of-this world athleticism from the baseline, which many call a modern-day version of Djokovic’s game.

Sixteen years separate them in age. But on the court? There’s little daylight.

Coco Gauff v Aryna Sabalenka

Gauff leads 5-4

These two have swept the hard court majors the last two seasons, with Gauff claiming the 2023 US Open and Sabalenka sweeping up two AOs and this year’s US Open. 

No match has seemed to play a bigger role in their nine meetings than that aforementioned 2023 championship clash on Arthur Ashe Stadium court, when Sabalenka looked in control only to see Gauff seize her chances with gutsy play.

Sabalenka exacted revenge in last year’s semifinals in Melbourne, a high-quality affair that nearly went three sets.

If Sabalenka shows up at season’s start as she has the last two years and Coco is able to carry her momentum from her recent WTA Finals win – watch out for that re-match.

Frances Tiafoe v Ben Shelton

Shelton leads 2-1

Are we on the cusp of another great generation of American men? 

Taylor Fritz’s run to the US Open final is the closest any US man has come to winning a major singles title in nearly 20 years, but Tiafoe, Shelton, Tommy Paul and Sebastian Korda are knocking on the door, too.

The dramatics have been high in just three outings between Tiafoe and Shelton, marked by that stunning US Open quarterfinal in 2023, won by Ben. But Tiafoe’s exacted revenge in Queens this past year showcased his own ability to re-calibrate, teaming up with David Witt and re-committing to the kind of tennis that brought him into the Top 10. 

Imagine if this rivalry is only in its beginning… Popcorn, please!

Jasmine Paolini v Elena Rybakina

Paolini leads 3-2

The plain height and game style differences already make this match-up intriguing, as Paolini’s pivotal win in the French Open quarters brought it to another level this last year. 

Rybakina wants to play in-charge, first-strike tennis, while Paolini will dig her heels in – no matter the surface.