Aryna Sabalenka has had plenty of ups and downs in her career so far, but moving to the top of the WTA rankings and knocking Iga Swiatek off the top spot will certainly be among her highlights.
Sabalenka will officially become WTA number one following Swiatek's shock US Open defeat against Jelena Ostapenko in the round of 16. Before Swiatek's loss, Sabalenka knew she would claim the top spot if she just matched the Polish player's performance at the US Open.
However, the Belarusian was able to fast-track her move to the top of the women's standings before she even started her round of 16 tie with Daria Kasatkina. Moreover, even if Sabalenka is unable to overcome her Russian opponent, she will still hold on to the top spot in the WTA.
Throughout the 2023 season, Swiatek's run at the top of the rankings, which was eventually stopped at 75 consecutive weeks, has dominated headlines and discussion. However, Sabalenka has maintained a consistent challenge to the Polish player during the current season and already came close on several occasions to going top.
The Belerusian's first big step towards the number one spot came in January when she bounced back from a set down against Elena Rybakina to win the Australian Open - her first Grand Slam title. Since then, Sabalenka has produced the level of consistency that many knew she was capable of in previous years.
Although the 25-year-old has not claimed another Grand Slam final yet, she has regularly been at the top of her game at the big events. At Roland Garros and Wimbledon, Sabalenka raced to the semi-finals before losing to Karolina Muchova and Ons Jabeur.
Other high-profile tournament victories have come at the Madrid Open, a WTA 1000 event, when Sabalenka defeated Swiatek in the final. In addition, the 25-year-old has been a final regular at other events, including Indian Wells and the Stuttgart Open.
For pushing the top players all the way and for keeping pace with Swiatek throughout the season, Sabalenka has finally reaped her rewards and moved to the pinnacle of women's tennis. The next step will be for the Belarusian to go deep into the US Open as she tries to break her semi-final hex and lift a second Grand Slam to celebrate top spot in style.
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