Beijing Tournament | In the absence of Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka in pursuit of world number one ranking
(Beijing) Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka said on Tuesday that she wanted to complete the best season of her career with a return to first place in the WTA rankings occupied by Polish Iga Swiatek. The world number 2 is seeded N.1 in the WTA 1000 tournament in Beijing which begins on Wednesday, after Swiatek, the title holder, withdrew for “personal reasons”. Victorious this year at the Australian and United States Opens, Aryna Sabalenka can make a jump in the rankings and come back on the Pole in the event of a coronation in Beijing, an ambition that she does not hide. “Of course it is one of my goals to finish the season as world number 1,” confirmed the Belarusian who had already won the Melbourne Major last year. However, the 26-year-old athlete does not want to “focus on that”. “I just want to play my best tennis on the court,” she said, while “there are only three tournaments left” this season. Aryna Sabalenka became world number 1 in September 2023, before being dethroned by Iga Swiatek.
