Aryna Sabalenka focused on improving despite huge rankings lead over Iga Swiatek - "I'm not really thinking about it"
WTA
World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka was able to right the ship after losing the Indian Wells final two weeks ago, as she stormed to the Miami Open title on Saturday.
The Belarusian defeated American Jessica Pegula in a hard-hitting final, scoring a 7-5 6-2 win in a rematch of last year's US Open final. Sabalenka did not drop a set during the entire tournament, staking her claim as one of the best hard court players in recent history.
Sabalenka ready to carry huge rankings lead into clay season
The top-ranked WTA player has won the most hard court titles (17) since her debut on the WTA tour in 2017. This gives her five more hard court titles than World No.2 Iga Swiatek.
"Oh, that’s crazy," said Sabalenka. "But if you’re going to look into clay-court statistics, I’m definitely going to be far behind Iga. That’s impressive to see. It actually means a lot because I’m a hard worker and to see these results, it’s just amazing."
The victory at the Miami Open saw Sabalenka add more points to her already impressive lead on the WTA Rankings. The two-time Australian Open champion now leads close rival Swiatek by over 3,000 ranking points on the WTA rankings table.
With the European clay season set to kick off this week, Sabalenka could have some serious competition as Swiatek's best surface is on the red dirt. However, the Belarusian admitted to not giving much thought to the rankings at the moment and is instead focused on getting better as the season progresses.
"Honestly, I’m not really thinking about it, to be honest," said Sabalenka. "But that’s a good points difference. I’m going to still keep my focus on myself and improving myself and making sure I bring my best game every time. I’ll keep hoping [laughing] to be running away with the points.
"I’m starting in Stuttgart and then Madrid, Rome and Paris. I love playing on clay. Everyone kind of questions my game [on clay], but I know I can do well. I think we’re going to focus on fitness a lot. To make sure I know that I can play longest rallies for the whole match. I’m excited and I really hope to perform well."
"I’m starting in Stuttgart and then Madrid, Rome and Paris. I love playing on clay. Everyone kind of questions my game [on clay], but I know I can do well. I think we’re going to focus on fitness a lot. To make sure I know that I can play longest rallies for the whole match. I’m excited and I really hope to perform well."
Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.
As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.
With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.
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