Sabalenka Leapfrogs Swiatek, Returns to No.1

By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Monday October 21, 2024

Aryna Sabalenka’s second stint atop the WTA’s rankings has come sooner than expected.

The WTA revealed on Monday that the three-time major champion has leapfrogged Iga Swiatek in the rankings, due to the fact that Swiatek was hit by “continuing year-end adjustments for falling short of certain tournament quotas,” and dropped 120 points from last week’s ranking total.

That means Sabalenka leads by 41 points and will commence her ninth week at No.1, while Swiatek’s streak of 50 consecutive weeks at No.1 ends with her holding a total of 125 weeks as the WTA’s No.1 player.

The pair will continue their battle for year-end No.1 at the WTA Finals in Riyadh, which commence on November 2nd. Sabalenka will have the edge because Swiatek is defending 1500 points while Sabalenka will defend 625 for losing in the semifinals at Cancun last year.

Sabalenka will take a lead of approximately 1,050 points into the WTA Finals, giving her a very good chance of finishing a season at No.1 for the first time.

Other Risers

Daria Kasatkina, (+2 to No.9): Kasatkina returns to the Top 10 for the first time since July 2023 after claiming her eighth career title in Ningbo.

Mirra Andreeva, (+2 to No.17): The 17-year-old lost to Kasatkina in the Ningbo final but still rises to another career high.

Karolina Muchova, (+5 to No.25): Muchova continues to push higher after a semifinal run in Ningbo. She’s back in the Top-25 for the first time since last year’s US Open.

Clara Tauson, (+11 to No.53): The dangerous Dane, still 21, returns to her highest ranking since August 2022.