Iga Swiatek holds top spot in WTA Race as Sabalenka surges

Aryna Sabalenka closed the gap with Iga Swiatek in the WTA Race and is emerging as a strong contender for qualification. The summer WTA 1000 tournaments in the US concluded with Jessica Pegula and Aryna Sabalenka as the champions of the Canadian Open and Cincinnati Open.

For now, 5-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek is the only one who has already secured her spot in the WTA Finals, but Sabalenka is in a good position to secure her qualification if she reaches the semifinals of the US Open.

The hardcourt summer saw Jessica Pegula as the big winner, stringing together 9 consecutive victories and earning 1,650 points by being a finalist in Toronto and then a runner-up in Cincinnati. The American was outside the top-10 in the WTA Race, but the points she gained have moved her up to No. 7, putting her on track to return to the Finals, where she is defending her runner-up finish from last summer.

Additionally, Aryna Sabalenka claimed another title and overtook Elena Rybakina. The Belarusian now has 5,876 points, putting a good distance between herself and the Kazakh, who stands at 4,911 points. However, both remain far behind the leader Iga Swiatek (7,855), who remains firmly in the race to finish her third consecutive year as No. 1.

Italian Jasmine Paolini, runner-up at the French Open and Wimbledon, as well as champion at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, remains in fourth place (4,625), with a wide margin over her closest pursuer, Coco Gauff, who will seek to defend her 2023 US Open title. Slightly behind is Danielle Collins (3,168) in 6th place, nearly tied with Pegula (3,166).

At the moment, these 7 players would qualify for the WTA Finals, along with Barbora Krejcikova, Wimbledon champion who is currently No. 10 in the Race but would secure a spot as a Grand Slam champion, provided she finishes the year in the top-20, something nearly guaranteed with her current 2,616 points.

Thus, players aspiring to compete in the Finals will need to reach at least 7th place, surpassing the 3,166 points Pegula currently has. Although they still maintain a gap of over 500 points, Emma Navarro, Zheng Qinwen, and Jelena Ostapenko seem to be the main contenders for a spot in Riyadh, but they will need outstanding results in the final months of the year.