Returning to the top of the world tennis rankings, Aryna Sabalenka intends to remain there.
The Belarusian player is enjoying a second stint as the world’s best player after spending eight weeks at the summit last year. She is leading the race to win the year-end No. 1 ranking going into this week’s WTA Finals in Riyadh.
The pressure of being at the top can cause some people to crumble, but the current generation of women’s tennis leaders, including Sabalenka and her direct rival Iga Swiatek, appear to thrive on it.
Having won three Grand Slam titles, including two this season, and gaining a great deal of experience from spending most of the previous five years in the top 10, Sabalenka has learned to appreciate the broader role of being one of the top women on the WTA tour.
She talked about it in Riyadh ahead of her WTA Finals and said: “Overall, I think to be a leader is tough. But I think it’s a great opportunity to help the sport. To fight for equal prize money, to show the world, to help countries like where we are, to improve the quality of life for women. It’s a responsibility, it’s a good opportunity to speak up for women. I like it, I like to have this responsibility and I like to represent women’s sport as strong and powerful women who can fight for their rights.”
Aryna Sabalenka in 2024
Currently the world no.1, Sabalenka played her last match on the 2nd of November when she beat world no.7 Qinwen Zheng 6-3 6-4 in the round robin in Riyadh (draw).
This season Aryna has managed to achieve an overall 55-12 record. Aryna clinched 4 titles in 2024 at the Australian Open, Cincinnati, U.S. Open and Wuhan. The Belarussian reached the final in Brisbane, Madrid and Rome.
Aryna Sabalenka will face the world no.450 Petra Kvitova in the final on Saturday at 6:00 pm on CENTRE COURT. Their record is 3-2 for Kvitova.
Aryna clinched 4 titles in 2024 at the Australian Open, Cincinnati, U.S. Open and Wuhan. Aryna got to the final in Brisbane (Brisbane International), in Madrid (Mutua Madrid Open) and in Rome (Internazionali BNL d’Italia).
The Belarussian won 17 titles in her career: 13 on hard courts, 2 on clay courts and 2 on indoor courts. (See the list of her titles)
Aryna Sabalenka in 2024
At the moment ranked no.1, Sabalenka played her last match on the 2nd of November when she beat world no.7 Qinwen Zheng 6-3 6-4 in the round robin in Riyadh (draw).
During this season the Belarussian has managed to achieve a compiled 55-12 win-loss record. The Belarussian conquered 4 titles in 2024 at the Australian Open, Cincinnati, U.S. Open and Wuhan. Sabalenka was the finalist in Brisbane, Madrid and Rome.
Aryna Sabalenka will square off with the world no.450 Petra Kvitova in the final on Saturday at 6:00 pm on CENTRE COURT. The head to head is 3-2 for Kvitova.
Sabalenka conquered 4 titles in 2024 at the Australian Open, Cincinnati, U.S. Open and Wuhan. The Belarussian was the runner-up in Brisbane (Brisbane International), in Madrid (Mutua Madrid Open) and in Rome (Internazionali BNL d’Italia).
Sabalenka won 17 titles in her career: 13 on hard courts, 2 on clay courts and 2 on indoor courts. (See the list of her titles)