Sabalenka dethrones Swiatek, returns to No. 1

Aryna Sabalenka has regained the top spot in the WTA rankings due to her exceptional performance in the final months of the 2024 season. By winning three of her last four tournaments—Wuhan, Cincinnati, and the US Open—Sabalenka was able to climb to the top, benefiting from Iga Swiatek’s absence and the ranking rules related to mandatory WTA 500 event participation.

By securing her third title at the Wuhan event, Sabalenka added to her impressive list of accomplishments, bringing her total career titles to 17. Her outstanding form, combined with changes in ranking points due to WTA 500 event regulations, allowed her to surpass Swiatek by just 41 points, reaching a total of 9,706 in the WTA rankings.

This is not Sabalenka’s first time at the top. She first reached the world No. 1 position on September 11, 2023, holding it for eight weeks before Swiatek reclaimed it. Now, Sabalenka has returned to the top for her second stint as No. 1, totaling nine weeks as the world’s best.

In contrast, Swiatek has been absent from tournaments since the US Open as she undergoes changes within her team, including parting ways with her long-time coach and hiring a new one. Sabalenka’s consistent results combined with Swiatek’s absence allowed the Belarusian to surpass her in the rankings.

The requirement for players to compete in at least six WTA 500 events in 2024 has had a significant impact on the rankings. Both Sabalenka and Swiatek failed to meet this requirement, but Sabalenka lost fewer points than Swiatek, leading her to reclaim the No. 1 spot.

Both players had zero points added to their totals this week, with Swiatek dropping to 9,665 points and Sabalenka at 9,706. With neither competing in the upcoming Tokyo WTA 500 tournament, another zero-pointer will widen the gap between them next week.

The battle for the year-end No. 1 ranking is still ongoing, with both Sabalenka and Swiatek striving to finish the season on top.