Iga Swiatek Denies Prioritization of Regaining the World No.1 Ranking From Aryna Sabalenka
Iga Swiatek was far away from the World No.1 ranking this year despite her Wimbledon triumph.
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Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka (Image via X/The Tennis Letter, Giovanni Pelazzo)
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Aryna Sabalenka has held the World No. 1 ranking throughout the entire 2025 season. Despite winning only one Grand Slam title, her consistency has kept her firmly at the top of the rankings.
However, players like Iga Swiatek continue to challenge for the No. 1 position. Even so, the Polish star has stated that she does not prioritize reclaiming the top spot. Swiatek said in her post-match press conference:
I’m not focused on number one. Aryna has played well and was thinking about it before the Asian tour, but she had to play many tournaments to overtake her. I don’t care about the ranking as long as I’m playing my best and improving my game, like I have been these past few months.
Swiatek held the World No. 1 ranking for most of the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Her form dipped after the Paris Olympics last year, giving Sabalenka the opportunity to rise to the top.
Sabalenka claimed the No. 1 ranking by winning the US Open and has maintained it ever since. Although there is a significant points gap between the two, both players have captured one Grand Slam title this year.
Aryna Sabalenka secures 500th win
World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka had already secured the WTA Year-End No. 1 ranking before arriving in Riyadh. With that achievement locked in, she could focus entirely on chasing her first WTA Finals title.
In her opening match, Sabalenka faced No. 8 seed Jasmine Paolini. Though Paolini offered some resistance early on, Sabalenka stayed in control and powered to a 6-3, 6-1 victory in just 70 minutes at the King Saud University Indoor Arena.
The win marked Sabalenka’s 500th career match, a special milestone in her career. It also gave her an early lead in the Stefanie Graf Group and improved her overall WTA Finals record to 9-8.
Even with the straight-sets result, Sabalenka admitted the match was far from simple. She acknowledged that facing Italy’s top-ranked player always presents a tough challenge.
Aryna Sabalenka shows complete display in win
Top seed Aryna Sabalenka wasted no time taking control of her match against Jasmine Paolini. After choosing to serve first, she held easily, then broke Paolini with a sharp crosscourt backhand to lead 2-0. It was an early sign of her confidence and aggressive intent.
Sabalenka’s backhand proved deadly throughout the set, producing 24 winners in total. Even when Paolini fought back to 4-3, Sabalenka quickly regained her rhythm, breaking again with a mix of power and placement to restore her lead. Her precision under pressure kept her firmly in command.
Her serve then became the defining factor in the opening set. After falling behind 0-30 at 5-3, Sabalenka fired four aces in a row to seal the set in just 36 minutes. Across the match, she tallied 11 aces without a single double fault, relying on placement and variety rather than raw speed.
In the second set, Sabalenka continued to mix up her serve and groundstrokes effectively. She saved double break points with wide serves and added both backhand and forehand winners to close out key games. When Paolini tried to stay alive at 5-1, Sabalenka won five straight points, finishing with a forehand winner to seal a dominant and stylish victory.
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