Aryna Sabalenka Gives Verdict On Her Massive Ranking Lead Over Iga Swiatek
News
Aryna Sabalenka reigns as the World No. 1 player on the WTA Tour, and she keeps increasing her lead over Iga Swiatek, something she is aware of.
Only a couple of years ago, Swiatek dominantly reigned as the World No. 1 on the WTA Tour, and it didn't seem possible for anyone to dethrone her. Her points total was getting larger and larger, and the Pole was winning one title after another.
During that period, there was one woman who was inspired and motivated by every Swiatek's win. Sabalenka looked closely, often standing on the opposite side of the net as the losing player.
Now, she's not the one losing anymore. She's winning, and she's winning in a way that brought her an over 3,000-point lead over Swiatek in the WTA Rankings. The Belarusian leads the rankings by 3,071 points over her Polish rival, who is now closer to third Coco Gauff than to Sabalenka.
Sabalenka's Miami Open win helped her to separate herself from Swiatek, and during the upcoming part of the season, she will have a chance to build an even larger gap to the Pole.
Swiatek won the Madrid Open, the Italian Open in Rome, and the French Open last year, which means that over the next two months, she will defend over 4,000 out of her 7,470 points.
That's not the case for Sabalenka, who played well during the clay-court part of the season last year, but she defends fewer points than her closest rival, which will only help her in the race for the World No. 1 spot.
After her win in Miami, Sabalenka spoke to the WTA Insider, detailing her plans for the clay-court season and also saying that she's excited to get her socks dirty again.
"I’m starting in Stuttgart and then Madrid, Rome, and Paris. I love playing on clay. Everyone kind of questions my game [on clay], but I know I can do well. I think we’re going to focus on fitness a lot. To make sure I know that I can playthe longest rallies for the whole match. I’m excited and I really hope to perform well."
Sabalenka was also asked about her massive lead in the WTA Rankings. Since becoming the World No. 1 player, the 26-year-old tried dodging the pressure that comes with it, and she did that again.
The Belarusian player wasn't necessarily interested in talking about how she sees her big lead. She wants to be the best player that she can be, hoping that the ranking comes as a result, which has worked for her until now.
"Honestly, I’m not really thinking about it, to be honest. But that’s a good points difference. I’m going to still keep my focus on myself and improving myself and making sure I bring my best game every time. I’ll keep hoping [laughing] to be running away with the points."
