Iga Świątek and the WTA’s New Tier 1 Standard

What separates a genuine Grand Slam favorite from an elite player who can beat anyone on the right day? We build a three-tier framework for the current WTA around Slam self-sufficiency, world-class weapons and the ability to impose a game without needing favorable matchups. Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina establish the standard, while Coco Gauff and Linda Noskova show there is more than one way to reach it. The real argument begins with the final Tier 1 spot. Has Iga Świątek actually decli...