Sabalenka leads Swiatek with over a thousand points in WTA ranking
Tennis superstar Aryna Sabalenka started the week with 1,046 ranking points ahead of Iga Swiatek and she will be in pole position at the WTA Finals to secure the Year-End No. 1 ranking.
Last Monday, the Belarusian replaced the Pole at the top spot after zero pointers for the missed WTA 500 tournaments were applied. This time, additional zero pointers were counted and also points earned from last year's WTA Finals were dropped. As a result, the 26-year-old will arrive in Riyadh with a significant ranking lead over the Pole.
For Sabalenka, this Monday marked her 10th week as the world No. 1. Last year, she reached the top spot after the US Open but reigned for only eight weeks until the end of the season-ending tournament.
"N1…. Let’s see for how long this time," the three-time Grand Slam champion wrote on X after reclaiming the top spot.
While the Pole still has a shot at finishing the season as the top-ranked player in the game, it will be easier said than done since the Belarusian holds her fate in her hands.
One of the first scenarios is Sabalenka winning all of her three group matches and instantly sealing the deal and not depending on anything else. Even winning a match or two in the Round Robin stage but reaching the final would be enough for the 26-year-old.
For Swiatek, the math is simple - she pretty much has to win all of her five matches but even that is not a guarantee. If the Pole ends on the losing side in one of her group matches, the Belarusian could seal the Year-End No. 1 with two Round Robin wins. In case the defending WTA Finals champion loses two matches, Sabalenka will need just one win in the group stage.
In case Swiatek goes undefeated and the Belarusian only wins two Round Robin matches and loses in the semifinal, that's the scenario that would see the 23-year-old finish the season as the No. 1.
