Iga Swiatek Gives Her Take on Aryna Sabalenka’s No.1 Ranking Comments: “I Stopped Thinking”

Both Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka have experienced ups and downs this season. Although Sabalenka was dominant at the start, Swiatek’s story is different.

The Pole did not reach her first final before the Canadian Open, where she defeated Elena Rybakina and won her first title since the 2025 Korea Open. In Majors, she made her deepest run when she reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. Sabalenka played the finals of the Australian Open and the US Open, losing both to Rybakina. The Kazakh ace dethroned her after the US Open defeat.

The Belarusian ace, who suffered a shock third-round upset at the hands of 26th seed Nikola Bartunkova, said she got back to a decent physical and mental state while competing in New York. She also said she was really excited to play the remaining events of the season.

Swiatek, who has spent 125 weeks (the seventh most in the all-time list) at the top of the rankings table, currently stands ninth in the rankings and understands this mindset of Sabalenka.

I think it’s a bit easier to come back to the mindset of chasing somebody because that’s what we’ve been doing our whole lives. There’s only one person who’s at number one. I stopped thinking about rankings because I felt like there’s some baggage off my shoulders. I could focus more on just working and getting back to the more peaceful and normal rhythm of practicing.

Iga Swiatek said at the press conference in Beijing (H/T: Tennis World USA)

First seed Rybakina, a one-time semifinalist in Beijing, also suffered a shock upset, losing to Alina Charaeva in the opening round.

Sabalenka, a three-time quarterfinalist in Beijing, will next compete at the Wuhan Open, where she is a three-time champion, lifting the trophy in her first three appearances. Last year, she failed to complete the three-peat, losing in the semifinals.

The four-time Grand Slam singles champion last won a title at the Miami Open this year by beating Coco Gauff, completing the rare Sunshine Double after winning in Indian Wells by defeating Rybakina. She also won the Brisbane International by beating Marta Kostyuk.

Iga Swiatek will do everything to qualify for the WTA Finals

Iga Swiatek kicked off her campaign in Beijing by breezing past home favorite Gao Xinyu. The six-time Grand Slam champion will next be locking horns with 30th seed Donna Vekic. Swiatek, a 12-time champion in WTA 1000 events, won the China Open on her debut in 2023 by beating Liudmila Samsonova.

After the China Open, Swiatek will compete at the Wuhan Open, where she made her debut last year and lost in the quarterfinals. She will also be playing the Ningbo Open for the very first time in her career. Swiatek, in short, will do everything to qualify for the WTA Finals.

For sure, that’s the goal. I’m going to be fighting for that. Obviously, I’m aware. But it doesn’t change the fact that it still feels pretty far, as there are many tournaments where you can gain many points. I try to just take it step by step because if I’m focused only on the next match, this is where I perform my best. I’ve never been in this position, so for sure it’s another experience in my career.

Iga Swiatek said at the press conference in Beijing (H/T: Tennis World USA)

Swiatek is a one-time champion at the season-ending championships, winning it in her third appearance in 2023 by beating Jessica Pegula. She failed to qualify for the semifinals in the previous two seasons.

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