Iga Swiatek shouldn’t be the odds-on favourite to complete the season with the WTA’s No.1 rating, however the six-time main champion has a shot to surpass Aryna Sabalenka if she will proceed on her excessive trajectory down the stretch.
Swiatek, now 1577 factors behind Sabalenka within the Race to Riyadh standings, may choose up vital factors this week in Beijing, the place Aryna Sabalenka is sitting out. The Pole can solely achieve factors over the following few weeks, as she was sitting out her one month ban final 12 months and didn’t play between the US Open and the WTA Finals.
Sabalenka, in the meantime, will lose 215 factors from Beijing and is defending one other 1000 in Wuhan. Sabalenka and Swiatek earned 400 factors every finally 12 months’s WTA Finals.
Swiatek, using excessive after kicking off her Asian swing with the title in Seoul, says she’s probably not involved concerning the rating, however admits she is conscious of her present standing in relation to Sabalenka.
“I’d say it’s at all times one thing to be there within the again, however it’s not prefer it’s a principal focus,” she stated.
Swiatek, who faces China’s Yuan Yue in second-round motion in Beijing, believes one of the best ways ahead is to deal with profitable matches slightly than an enormous image rating state of affairs.
“I already know that eager about the rankings, it’s not a technique to go, regardless of should you’re No. 2 or regardless of should you’re No. 1,” she stated. “It’s simply numbers. But it surely doesn’t change the truth that you might want to form of really feel the tennis and deal with the advance on the court docket, then the outcomes are going to come back after that.”
2024 was tough for Swiatek as a result of she was pressured to overlook time month as a result of her doping ban, and that made it unimaginable to earn a 3rd consecutive year-end No.1 rating. In complete, the 24-year-old has held the No.1 rating for 125 weeks, seventh most all-time.
Sabalenka’s 57 weeks – and counting – is thirteenth most all-time.
“For certain it is a totally different scenario than final 12 months once I wasn’t actually in a position to defend my No. 1, like earn it,” Swiatek stated. “So for certain I am simply joyful that I am right here and I can compete and combat for it. However… my principal focus is extra tennis-related, how I wish to play, how I really feel on court docket.”
