Aryna Sabalenka is close to overtaking Iga Swiatek at No. 1 and did not hide what it would mean to her. However, Sabalenka also had kind words about the Pole and their rivalry.
Swiatek's lead at No. 1 seemed pretty insurmountable less than two months ago. Sabalenka was actually at No. 3 behind Coco Gauff heading into the Cincinnati Open, having not won a tournament since the Australian Open in January.
The Belarusian ended that title drought(by her high standards) by winning the Cincinnati Open. That included beating Swiatek in straight sets for the first time in the semifinal before beating Jessica Pegula in the final.
Sabalenka followed that with even more significant success at the US Open. She claimed her maiden title at Flushing Meadows after coming close several times, defeating Pegula in the final once again after a high-quality match.
After narrowing the gap to Swiatek at those tournaments, the Pole withdrew from the China Open and the Wuhan Open after parting with her longtime coach. She is taking some time away to appoint and start working with a new coach.
That is an understandable decision, but it has also put Swiatek's No. 1 ranking under major threat. Sabalenka will overtake her rival if she reaches the quarterfinal by winning two matches at the Wuhan Open.
She is now just one victory away from becoming the world No. 1 for the second time after beating Katerina Siniakova in the opening round in Wuhan. The three-time Grand Slam champion was also at the top of the rankings for a few weeks after last year's US Open.
Sabalenka admitted that getting back to No. 1 has been a source of significant motivation for her since she was a child just starting in the sport, showing her mentality from a young age.
"I think it's been my goal since I was little. This is something that i'm on the right way, I'm working on the right things. Of course, it's one of the biggest goals for me. Yeah, I really want to achieve this goal. That's a big motivation."
The Belarusian also thinks the attention generated by her No. 1 battle and rivalry with Swiatek is good for women's tennis and the sport as a whole.
"Especially having this rivalry with Iga is something big for tennis and something much needed, I would say, in women's tennis. To kind of keep this competition going would be really good for tennis."
The fight for the year-end No. 1 ranking will be decided at the WTA Finals, regardless of whether Sabalenka overtakes Swiatek at the Wuhan Open. This year's US Open champion said she hopes the pair meet at the Finals to decide who finishes at the top.
"I mean, I love having this competition and I love seeing her in the draw. Yeah, I love to, like, get to the finals and face her in the finals. It's always great battles. I always enjoy fights against her... Hopefully, we can play against each other in the Finals, yeah, put into a fight for world No. 1."