Swiatek Hits Ranking Milestone, But No.1 Ranking Hangs In The Balance With Sabalenka Surging
Posted by Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Tuesday October 15, 2024
Iga Swiatek reached another ranking milestone this week, but the group may not last long.
According to John Berkok of Tennis.com, the top-ranked player became the seventh player in history to enjoy more than 50 weeks at the top of the WTA, joining Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf, Monica Seles, Martina Hingis and Serena Williams.
But Swiatek, ranked seventh last week at No.1 at 125, may not hold the top spot for long.
The fact that he hasn’t played since the US Open is telling Aryna Sabalenka to close the gap on 69 ranking points ahead of this year’s WTA Final in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
And Swiatek, who won all five matches he played in last year’s WTA finals in Cancun, will defend 1500 points, while Sabalenka defended only 625. If you look at the Race to Riyadh ranking, it shows that Sabalenka leads Swiatek with 806 points, which is 806. a more accurate representation of year-end rates.
ANOTHER 1GA MILESTONE❗
🇵🇱 @iga_swiatek begins her 50th consecutive week at #1 today, which—combined with her first 75-week streak—makes her just the SEVENTH woman to record *most* 50-week streak as WTA #1. 💥
She joins Evert, Navratilova, Graf, Seles, Hingis and Serena:
— Tennis (@Tennis) October 14, 2024
That means Swiatek will have to get the better of Sabalenka in Riyadh if he is to finish third in the year-end ranking. It will be hard to ask of a player who hasn’t played competitively since bowing out to Jessica Pegula this year in the quarterfinals of the US Open, but if there’s anyone who can handle the challenge, it’s the 23-year-old.
Meanwhile, Sabalenka, who held the No.1 ranking for eight weeks last fall before handing it back to Swiatek after the WTA Finals, has her eye on the top, even if she isn’t focused on it.
“That’s really strong, [the] levels right now. It’s great to see,” he said of the race to No.1 on Sunday after claiming his third Wuhan title. “I always say it’s one of the goals, but I prefer to focus on myself and continue working hard. We will see after the final if I am fit enough this season to be number 1 in the world.”
