Every tournament counts: Aryna Sabalenka seeks to dethrone Iga Swiatek and stay at No. 1 in the world

With the 2024 season entering its final stretch, many speculations arise around who will be the tennis player who manages to finish the year at the top of the world rankings. Although in the case of the men Jannik Sinner has obtained a good margin of points over his immediate pursuer, in the women things are not defined at all, since Aryna Sabalenka is on an overwhelming pace after establishing herself in Australia, and more recently in Cincinnati and at the US Open. The Belarusian is very close to catching Iga Swiatek, current No. 1, can she do it? In 2023, Iga Swiatek took first place thanks to an impressive late-season run. He chained together an incredible series of victories that allowed him to finish the year on top, demonstrating once again how dominant he can be.

For much of this season, it seemed like this discussion wouldn’t even be necessary. For months, the feeling was that Iga Swiatek had secured number one. Known for her incredible consistency, the Pole was solid throughout the year, especially in the clay court season. Before we jump into the current battle, it’s worth highlighting some of the No. 1’s most notable achievements this year. From the beginning, she set the tone by winning Doha, a prestigious WTA 1000 tournament. She then won the Indian Wells Masters, establishing herself as one of the best players on the circuit. His dominance on clay was even more impressive, as he put together a near-flawless season on his favorite surface.

On clay, Swiatek won the Madrid and Rome tournaments consecutively, thus demonstrating his dominance. And he topped it off with another title at Roland Garros, adding to his already impressive collection of Grand Slam trophies. By the time the French Open concluded, Swiatek had gained a considerable lead in the rankings. It seemed unlikely that anyone could catch her, as her point total put her in a very comfortable position. At that time, Aryna Sabalenka was her closest rival, but although Sabalenka had won the Australian Open and reached the finals in Madrid and Rome, the distance between them seemed insurmountable. However, as we have learned in tennis, things can change quickly. Despite the apparent difference, Sabalenka has been getting closer to Swiatek, especially after her fantastic performance at the US Open. The Belarusian took the Cincinnati Open title and then won the US Open itself, significantly reducing the points difference between her and Swiatek. Currently, Swiatek has 10,885 points, while Sabalenka has 8,716 points. You may be wondering, “How can it still be considered so even?”