Aryna Sabalenka reveals her fundamentals to dismantle Iga Swiatek as the clay queen after a successful hard court season

Aryna Sabalenka was second best to Iga Swiatek last year during the clay season, losing in the Madrid and Rome finals.

Aryna Sabalenka reveals her fundamentals to dismantle Iga Swiatek as the clay queen after a successful hard court season

Aryna Sabalenka (image via Miami Open)

Top seed Aryna Sabalenka secured victory at the Miami Open. The Belarusian ended a fantastic hard-court season, where she reached the finals of the Australian Open and Indian Wells but was missing a title. She answered those questions in Miami, winning her eighth Masters 1000 title.

Sabalenka now heads into the clay season, where she has historically struggled. The World No. 1 has often been second best to Iga Swiatek on clay but has figured out what she needs to do to challenge the Pole on her favorite surface.

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I am physically strong, I know I can endure long rallies, and I don’t have to rush looking for winners. I believe that is the key to further improving my game on clay, so we will focus on ensuring that my physical condition is optimal during this stretch of the season.

Aryna Sabalenka said in her press conference

Sabalenka and Swiatek faced each other twice on clay last season, in Madrid and Rome. The Polish star won both matches before going on to claim her fifth Grand Slam title at Roland Garros.

However, Swiatek has not won any titles since her historic run in Paris. That includes the Paris Olympics, where she was upset by eventual gold medalist Qinwen Zheng. Sabalenka will look to take advantage of her rival’s recent struggles and achieve success on clay.

Aryna Sabalenka ahead in Race to Riyadh

World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka has taken the top spot from Madison Keys in the WTA Rankings Race to Riyadh. The 2025 WTA Finals will be held in Saudi Arabia in November. Eight players will compete for the biggest prize in women’s tennis. The prize money has not been announced yet, but last year’s champion, Coco Gauff, won $4.8 million.

Aryna Sabalenka Miami Open
Aryna Sabalenka (image via Instagram @arynasabalenka)

The top seven players in the rankings will qualify for the tournament. One additional spot is reserved for a Grand Slam winner ranked between No. 8 and No. 20. If that player is already in the top seven, the No. 8-ranked player will take the spot. Two alternates, usually ranked No. 9 and No. 10, will step in if someone withdraws.

Grand Slam events play a key role in qualification, as winners earn 2,000 points and runners-up get 1,300. WTA 1000 tournaments also have a big impact. Madison Keys led the race early after winning the Australian Open and the Adelaide International. She also reached the semifinals at Indian Wells.

Sabalenka, who finished as the Australian Open runner-up, moved to No. 1 after winning the Miami Open. She now has 3,580 points, leading Keys by 570 points. Mirra Andreeva is in third place, while Iga Swiatek, a five-time Grand Slam winner, is fourth. Andreeva won her first WTA 1000 title in Dubai and followed it up with a win at Indian Wells before an early exit in Miami.

Aryna Sabalenka’s prize money revealed after Miami Open win

Aryna Sabalenka has been close to winning big titles in 2025, and she finally succeeded at the Miami Open. She defeated Jessica Pegula in the final with a strong 7-5, 6-2 victory. Earlier this year, she lost the Australian Open final to Madison Keys and was also runner-up at Indian Wells after a surprising loss to Mirra Andreeva.

Aryna Sabalenka
Aryna Sabalenka (Image via Aryna Sabalenka’s X handle)

With this win, Sabalenka earned $1,124,380 in prize money. This achievement moved her up to ninth place on the all-time women’s prize money list, passing Angelique Kerber. Her career earnings now stand at $33,643,560, putting her just behind her rival, Iga Swiatek.

However, both Sabalenka and Swiatek are still far from Serena Williams, who remains the highest-earning female player. Serena has an unmatched career total of $94,816,730 in prize money. This latest WTA 1000 win also helped Sabalenka extend her lead in the WTA rankings.

When the new rankings update on Monday, Sabalenka will have 10,541 points. Swiatek will remain in second place with 7,470 points, while Coco Gauff will be third with 6,063 points. Sabalenka now has a lead of over 3,000 points at the top.