US Open champion Aryna Sabalenka aims to finish season as world No. 1 - 'One of my goals... that means everything'

Published 24/09/2024 at 19:41 GMT

Aryna Sabalenka wants to end the calendar year as the top-ranked tennis player in the world. The Belarusian is the top seed for the China Open, which starts this week, because world No. 1 Iga Swiatek has withdrawn due to personal reasons. That gives Sabalenka a chance to close the gap to the Pole, and she says being No. 1 - a spot she briefly held last year - "means everything".

Sabalenka 'puts family name in history of tennis' after withstanding 'crazy level' of Pegula

Aryna Sabalenka has revealed finishing the calendar year as world No. 1 is one of her main goals over the remaining weeks of the season.

The US Open champion currently sits in second place in the WTA rankings, 2169 points behind Iga Swiatek.

She was previously top of the pile between September and October of last year, before being overtaken by the Pole.

WTA Beijing

Raducanu withdraws from China Open due to ligament injury that 'needs more time to heal'

23/09/2024 at 13:07

And with only a few weeks of the season remaining, Sabalenka says regaining that spot is one of her main motivations.

"Of course that's one of my goals, to finish the season at world number one," Sabalenka said.

"I'm not trying to focus on that, I'm trying to focus on my game. There are only three tournaments left.

"I'm just trying to bring my best tennis on court. After the season, I'll see if it was enough to finish the year at number one or have to improve something else to get to number one."

It has already been a magnificent year for Sabalenka, who began 2024 by lifting a Grand Slam singles title for the first time at the Australian Open.

Things took a dip over the spring and early summer when she suffered a shock quarter-final defeat to Mirra Andreeva at Roland Garros before missing Wimbledon due to injury.

But the American hard court swing proved fruitful, with a Cincinnati Open title followed by US Open glory at Flushing Meadows, where Sabalenka defeated Jessica Pegula in the final.

Sabalenka beats Pegula in straight sets to lift first US Open trophy

The Belarusian has not played since that tournament, nearly three weeks ago. She will make her return to the court this week, though, as the China Open, a Masters 1000 event, gets underway in Beijing.

With defending champion Swiatek not in action due to "personal reasons", it gives Sabalenka the perfect chance to gain some ground on her opponent, whose points from 2023 will fall off her ranking.

"To be called the best player in the world, that means everything," the 26-year-old added.

"It's good to know that you've been doing the right thing, all of those hours of training wasn't a waste of time."

Sabalenka is the top seed in Beijing, meaning she gets a bye into the second round, where she will face one of two qualifiers, either Zarina Diyas or Mananchaya Sawangkaew.

---

Stream top tennis action live on Eurosport and discovery+

US Open