Aryna Sabalenka is on the cusp of reclaiming the No. 1 ranking in women’s tennis, a spot currently held by her fierce competitor, Iga Swiatek. The rivalry between Sabalenka and Swiatek has been a driving force for the Belarusian star, who is eager to return to the top after a successful season, including her recent US Open title win. Sabalenka believes that this rivalry is crucial for the sport, particularly women’s tennis, as it enhances competition and generates excitement.
Less than two months ago, Swiatek’s lead at the top seemed unbeatable, but Sabalenka has closed the gap significantly. Heading into the Cincinnati Open, Sabalenka was ranked No. 3 behind Swiatek and Coco Gauff. A title drought since winning the Australian Open earlier this year made Sabalenka hungry for success, and she broke that streak by clinching the Cincinnati Open title. In the semifinals, she achieved a major milestone by defeating Swiatek in straight sets for the first time, before defeating Jessica Pegula in the final.
Sabalenka carried that momentum into the US Open, where she won her maiden title at Flushing Meadows, cementing her place as one of the top contenders in the sport. As Swiatek took a step back to regroup following a coaching change, Sabalenka now finds herself one victory away from overtaking the Pole as the world No. 1 at the Wuhan Open.
“I think it’s been my goal since I was little. This is something that I’m on the right way, I’m working on the right things. Of course, it’s one of the biggest goals for me. Yeah, I really want to achieve this goal. That’s a big motivation,” Sabalenka said about her desire to reclaim the top ranking.
Sabalenka also emphasized the significance of her rivalry with Swiatek, which she believes is essential for the growth of women’s tennis.
“Especially having this rivalry with Iga is something big for tennis and something much needed, I would say, in women’s tennis. To kind of keep this competition going would be really good for tennis.”
Although Sabalenka is close to reaching No. 1, the final battle for the year-end top spot will be decided at the WTA Finals. Sabalenka expressed her excitement at the prospect of facing Swiatek at the Finals and hopes they meet in the final showdown for the prestigious ranking.
“I mean, I love having this competition and I love seeing her in the draw. Yeah, I love to, like, get to the finals and face her in the finals. It’s always great battles. I always enjoy fights against her… Hopefully, we can play against each other in the Finals, yeah, put into a fight for world No. 1.”
With their rivalry heating up, the tennis world eagerly awaits what’s next in the Sabalenka-Swiatek saga.
Sabalenka in Wuhan, ranking, and results in 2024
WLWWWWWWWW At the moment ranked no.2, the Belarussian has achieved an overall 50-12 match record in 2024. Sabalenka is currently competing in Wuhan where she defeated Unknown Player bye and the world no.37 Katerina Siniakova 6-4 6-4.
Aryna Sabalenka will compete against the world no.450 Petra Kvitova in the final on Saturday at 6:00 pm on CENTRE COURT. Their actual record is 3-2 for Kvitova.
Sabalenka conquered 3 titles in 2024 at the Australian Open, Cincinnati and U.S. Open. The Belarussian was the finalist in Brisbane (Brisbane International), in Madrid (Mutua Madrid Open) and in Rome (Internazionali BNL d’Italia).
Sabalenka won 16 titles in her career: 12 on hard courts, 2 on clay courts and 2 on indoor courts. (See the list of her titles)
Iga Swiatek in 2024
LWWWWLWWWW At the moment ranked no.1, the Pole played her last match on the 4th of September when she was defeated by world no.3 Jessica Pegula 6-2 6-4 in the quarter of the U.S. Open (draw).
This year Swiatek has a 59-8 record. Iga clinched 6 titles in 2024 in Australia, Doha, Indian Wells, Madrid, Rome and French Open.
Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek fought against each other 12 times. Their current head to head is 8-4 for Swiatek. Previously, the last time they played, Aryna Sabalenka won 6-3 6-3 in the semifinal in Cincinnati (Western & Southern Open) on the 18th of August 2024.
Here are the highlights.
Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek |
| Embed from Getty Images |
