How Aryna Sabalenka toppled Iga Swiatek to become World No. 1 ‘two weeks earlier’ than everyones expectation
Aryna Sabalenka displaced Iga Swiatek as the World No. 1 for the first time this season and now holds a 41-point lead at the top.
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Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek (via Reuters/Sports Illustrated)
Aryna Sabalenka returned to the top of the WTA rankings after overtaking Iga Swiatek and has ignited the battle for the year-end World No.1 spot. With the WTA Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, weeks away, the Belarusian looks set to solidify her position. However, fans are still surprised how Sabalenka toppled Swiatek.
Swiatek was on fire for the first six months of the season, winning five titles, including the French Open. After Sabalenka missed Wimbledon due to a shoulder injury, the Polish star held a commanding 4,224 points lead, which began to drop after Sabalenka returned from injury in the North American hard court swing.
Sabalenka claimed her second title of the season at the Cincinnati Open after beating Jessica Pegula in straight sets in the final and Swiatek in the semifinals. That cut the Pole’s lead, while Sabalenka collected 1,000 points.
At the US Open, Swiatek produced a good result, reaching the quarterfinals, but Sabalenka winning the Grand Slam slashed the margin to 2,169 points. Despite Swiatek being the defending champion of the China Open, she skipped the tournament and the remaining Asian swing.
The move led to a 1,000-point deduction from her total points, while Sabalenka reached the China Open quarterfinals, reducing the gap to 1,069 points. Sabalenka then went on to win the Wuhan Open, which earned her an additional 1,000 points.
Last week, both players were not in action, so they gained no extra points. However, when Swiatek’s points were deducted because of the tournaments she missed, her points down moved from 9,785 to 9,665. On the other hand, Sabalenka’s points moved from 9,716 to 9,706, which made her become the new WTA No. 1 with a narrow 41-point lead.
Qualified singles players for the 2024 WTA Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Seven out of eight players have qualified for the WTA Finals which gets underway on November 2 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. First among them was Iga Swiatek. The Polish star earned her qualification ticket in June after winning the Madrid, Italian, and French Open.
The second is Aryna Sabalenka. She won her third career Grand Slam in the US after clinching the Cincinnati Open. Coco Gauff then booked a place in her third consecutive Finals after clinching the China Open title last month.
Italy’s Jasmine Paolini secured the fourth position and will make her debut in the year-end event. Elena Rybakina and Jessica Pegula have spent the year in the Top 10 and have claimed at least two titles each this season. They will be aiming for their maiden Finals win in November.
Qinwen Zheng booked her place in the Finals after finishing as the Wuhan Open runner-up. The Chinese player won the women’s singles gold medal at the Paris Olympics in August and has been in good form since. Only Barbora Krejcikova has not been guaranteed a Finals spot. The Wimbledon champion’s position is subject to a Top 20 finish.
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Victor Okechukwu
(688 Articles Published)