October 21, (THEWILL) – Aryna Sabalenka has returned to the top spot in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) rankings, surpassing Iga Swiatek. This sets the stage for an exciting conclusion to the 2024 tennis season, with the WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia likely to determine the year-end world number one.
The 26-year-old Belarusian has had an exceptional year, successfully defending her Australian Open title in January and claiming victory at the US Open in September. Sabalenka’s impressive run also includes triumphs in Cincinnati and Wuhan, further solidifying her position at the summit of women’s tennis.
Swiatek’s decision to skip the Asian swing of the tour due to fatigue has had significant consequences. The 23-year-old Polish player, who won the French Open earlier this year, will only participate in two of the six mandatory WTA 500 events this season. This shortfall resulted in penalties that contributed to her drop in the rankings.
Following the release of the latest rankings on Monday, Sabalenka took to social media platform X to acknowledge her achievement, stating, “N1… Let’s see for how long this time.” The Belarusian currently holds 9,706 ranking points, narrowly leading Swiatek’s 9,665 points as they approach the WTA Finals.
The season-ending WTA Finals, scheduled for November 2-9 in Riyadh, will feature the top eight singles players and doubles teams competing on hard courts. With 1,500 points at stake, this prestigious event is poised to play a decisive role in determining who will finish the year as the world’s top-ranked female tennis player.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
