World No 2 Swiatek has recently completed a one-month suspension after testing positive for banned substance TMZ back in August 2024.

The Pole was found to be of "no significant fault" for the violation, having successfully argued that her melatonin medication had been accidentally contaminated with TMZ before use.

Swiatek was provisionally suspended for three weeks from September 12th to October 4th, during which she missed three WTA tournaments - including WTA 1000 events in Beijing and Wuhan.

Her absence from those events proved one factor as to why Sabalenka, the reigning Australian and US Open champion, knocked the Pole off the top of the WTA Rankings in October.

Sabalenka ended 2024 as the year-end No 1 and has started her 2025 pre-season playing the World Tennis League in Abu Dhabi, where Swiatek is also in action.

Speaking to The National at the tournament, three-time major winner Sabalenka refused to comment too much on the case but did say that people often overreacted before "figuring stuff out.

She said: "People are really used to overreacting before figuring stuff out, so I don't want to leave any comments. I believe in clean sport and nothing else I can add."

World No 1 Sabalenka posted a photo of Swiatek and herself on her Instagram Story on Sunday, following a practice session between the two on-site.

"Great practice with @iga.swiatek," wrote the 26-year-old.

Swiatek and Sabalenka have met 12 times on the WTA Tour, with the former holding an 8-4 advantage in their head-to-head.

The pair are yet to meet in a Grand Slam singles final but their rivalry has been the defining one of recent seasons, with the duo the most successful WTA singles players of recent seasons.

In 2024, it was five-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek who won when they met in the Madrid and Rome finals, though Sabalenka turned the tables in the last four of the Cincinnati Open.

Sabalenka and Swiatek have not met since the Cincinnati Open though will be projected to face off in the Australian Open final.

Belarusian Sabalenka will be the top seed and will hope to become the first woman since Martina Hingis to win three straight titles Down Under, while Swiatek is searching for her first title in Melbourne.

The pair will not meet in official tour action before then, with the two choosing to play different warm-up events in the build-up to the first Slam of 2025.

Sabalenka will be the top seed at the Brisbane International, while Swiatek will be in United Cup action for Poland.

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