“It's smarter to focus on tennis and the ranking will come after that”: Iga Swiatek stays grounded despite chance to reclaim No. 1 spot

Iga Swiatek has stated that reclaiming the World No. 1 spot is not her main goal as she continues her campaign at the Australian Open. The 5-time Grand Slam champion lost the top ranking to Aryna Sabalenka just weeks before the end of last season.

Swiatek has already cemented her place among the greats, even within the 29 women to hold the World No. 1 ranking during the WTA Tour's Open Era. At just 23 years old, she has spent 125 weeks at the top, placing her seventh in the all-time standings, ahead of players like Ashleigh Barty (121), Justine Henin (117), and Lindsay Davenport (98).

The world No. 2 also surpasses all other active players who have reached the summit, including Sabalenka, Wozniacki, Halep, Azarenka, Osaka, Pliskova, and Venus Williams.

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Swiatek eyes consistency over rankings

The World No. 2 has made a strong start to the Australian Open with commanding victories over Katerina Siniakova (6-3, 6-4) and Rebecca Sramkova (6-0, 6-2). She is set to face 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu in the third round as she looks to progress to the second week of the tournament. Last year, Swiatek was upset by Noskova in the third round, so a win here would allow her to start earning key ranking points.

In her recent press conference, Swiatek acknowledged that reclaiming the No. 1 ranking isn’t something she’s overly focused on. She emphasized that as long as she plays superior tennis throughout the year, the top spot will take care of itself.

"I remember for the past two years I started at No. 1, so I felt like I needed to show from the beginning of the season my tools and what I can play,” said the 4-time Roland Garros champion. “Yeah, there was a lot of pressure starting the year as No. 1, but I think overall last year I didn't think about it this much anyway."

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"Also, I realized last year that I don't have 100% influence on what happens with my ranking sometimes. So now I just focus on tennis,” she added. “If I play well, I know I'll be back at No. 1. If I don't and Aryna plays better, she'll be No. 1. I think it's just smarter to focus on tennis, and the ranking will come after that."

At the moment, Swiatek is on track to regain the World No. 1 ranking because Sabalenka, as the defending champion, cannot gain additional points. The Belarusian is just over 200 points behind Swiatek in the live rankings, meaning her only way to ensure she keeps the top spot is by winning the title. Otherwise, she’ll have to rely on an early exit by Swiatek.

A tight battle for the top ranking is expected in the coming months. Once the Australian Open concludes, Swiatek will face a significant point defence between February and March, followed by defending two more high-level titles and her French Open crown during the clay swing. These will offer crucial opportunities for Sabalenka to close the gap.

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