"No one expects her to drop suddenly" - Iga Swiatek acknowledges regaining World No.1 position from Aryna Sabalenka will be a difficult task
WTA
Although Iga Swiatek is one of the favorites to win every tournament she competes in, the Polish star has admitted she has her work cut out for her if she were to overtake rival Aryna Sabalenka to once again become the WTA's top-ranked player.
Swiatek held the World No.1 position for over 100 weeks, before eventually being leapfrogged by Sabalenka in September 2023. The big-hitting Belarusian has been playing some of the best tennis of her career, as she has captured three Grand Slam singles titles and reached at least the semifinals in every Major tournament.
Overtaking Sabalenka will not be easy, admits Swiatek
Both ladies will carry their rivalry into the 2025 Miami Open, where Swiatek lifted the trophy in 2022. The five-time Grand Slam champion currently sits at second place behind Sabalenka in the WTA Rankings, and acknowledged she will have to play at her best if she were to regain pole position from Sabalenka.
"Well, of course it matters,” said Swiatek when asked if regaining the World No.1 ranking was important to her. “Like, this is something we work for. But mathematically it’s going to be tough for me to come back to number 1 soon, even if I would win all the tournaments, I think.
"So yeah, I mean, I kind of got over it. It was tough, like, in the Middle East swing because I realize I have this hole in my rankings because I didn’t play China swing. It’s not going to be possible to replace these points because I’ve been winning a lot that season. In early part of… sorry. I was winning a lot last year in early part of the season. I’m just focusing on the work. If I’m going to play well, it’s going to come back.
"So yeah, I mean, I kind of got over it. It was tough, like, in the Middle East swing because I realize I have this hole in my rankings because I didn’t play China swing. It’s not going to be possible to replace these points because I’ve been winning a lot that season. In early part of… sorry. I was winning a lot last year in early part of the season. I’m just focusing on the work. If I’m going to play well, it’s going to come back.
"Also Aryna is playing well. Like, no one expects her to drop suddenly. She’s doing [a] good job. I think we’re both competing at, like, similar level. We both deserve to fight for the spot. But it’s not like I’m thinking about it a lot. I’m more focusing on just improving as a tennis player and on my game. I think that’s the healthiest way to go."
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