"Nothing comes close"- Tennis Insider makes opinion clear on Iga Swiatek, Naomi Osaka nailbiter; reacts to WTA Match of the Year nominees
With the 2024 WTA season officially ending, the WTA Awards are now up for grabs. These annual accolades are given to players for their performance on the court throughout the year.
In determining which WTA match was the best for 2024, there have been five frontrunners. The final of the Madrid Open between Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka, the semifinal of the Stuttgart Open between Swiatek and Elena Rybakina, the Berlin Ladies Open final between Jessica Pegula and Anna Kalinskaya, and the Wuhan Open final between Zheng Qinwen and Aryna Sabalenka.
The only doubles match within the nominees is the final clash at the Italian Open between the pair of Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini and the pair of Coco Gauff and Erin Routliffe.
However, tennis insider Jose Morgado has made his view clear on the matter, stating the second-round match between Naomi Osaka and Iga Swiatek at the French Open is the ideal choice for the "match of the year".
Iga Swiatek entered the 2024 French Open, as the two-time defending champion. The Pole already had bagged two clay court titles before Roland Garros this year, winning WTA 1000 titles in Madrid and Rome. However, her dominance had waned a bit, as she had to fight her way past Sabalenka in the Madrid final, and previously had succumbed to Elena Rybakina in Stuttgart.
On the other hand, Naomi Osaka was on a comeback trail, returning to the WTA this year after a gap of almost two years. The Pole was the pre-match favorite against the Japanese player. However, what followed was a topsy-turvy match, which saw Osaka have match points against the then World No. 1 in the third set. She could not close out the match, and the top seed turned it around, winning 7-6 (1), 1-6, 7-5.
Swiatek won the French Open, Osaka did not have a good 2024
After the match against Naomi Osaka, Iga Swiatek regrouped herself and was at her dominant best. She won her next five matches at the French Open, without dropping a set, winning her fourth title on the Parisian clay and fifth Major title in her career. With the win, the Pole took her record in Paris to 35-2.
On the other hand, Osaka's comeback did not go as smoothly after that match. Since her clash with Swiatek at Roland Garros, the Japanese player had a 9-7 win/loss record.
However, by the end of the season, both players underwent coaching changes for the 2025 season. Swiatek joined hands with Osaka's former coach Wim Fissette, whereas the Japanese player joined forces with Patrick Mouratoglou.