Belarus’
Aryna Sabalenka may well finish the year as the number
one player in the WTA rankings, depending on results in the China Open.
The 25-year-old claimed the top spot in the recently
concluded US Open where she finished as the runner-up to America’s young tennis
sensation Coco Gauff with a score of 2-6, 6-3, 6-2.
Sabalenka will finish the year as the number one player if
she manages to perform better than the current world number two Poland’s Iga
Swiatek in the ongoing China Open.
The eventual outcome can extend the Minsk-born’s lead at the
top of the ladder to more than 1,500 points and that margin cannot be overturned
with both players set to meet in the WTA Finals next month where there are only
1,500 maximum points available for any player.
Despite the defeat in the final of the fourth and final
Grand Slam, Sabalenka will be extremely pleased with her overall performance in
the big events this year where she played in the semifinal or beyond in all
four Grand Slams.
Her maiden triumph in a major tournament came earlier this
year as she won the Australian Open after beating Elena Rybakina in the
final with a score of 4–6, 6–3, 6–4.
