Iga Swiatek has capped her rise to the top of the WTA Rankings by holding the number one sport for the longest period among active players.
Swiatek has held the top spot amongst women's singles players for 64 consecutive weeks following back-to-back wins at the 2022 and 2023 Roland Garros and the 2022 US Open. The latest WTA rankings update ensured Swiatek would hold on to the top spot for a record-breaking week, as she is now tied with recently retired Simona Halep on 64 weeks, while still active player Victoria Azarenka is just below the pair as she spent 51 consecutive weeks in the top spot.
Ultimately, Swiatek can add to her currently cemented position at the top of the WTA rankings for the foreseeable future during the start of the grass season. World number two Aryna Sabalenka is over 900 points behind Swiatek in the most recent rankings and the Belarusian player is currently competing in the Berlin Open WTA 500 tournament before Wimbledon 2023 starts in early July.
However, Swiatek could extend her lead heading into Wimbledon as she is set to participate in the WTA 250 event in Bad Homburg, which begins on June 26. A victory there would likely improve Swiatek's lead, while a win in SW19 would push the 22-year-old further ahead in the WTA standings.
2023 has been a consistent year for Swiatek so far. The Polish player lifted titles in the Stuttgart Open and the Qatar Open before her recent success at the Roland Garros, where she defeated Karolina Muchova across three sets in the Grand Slam final.
Despite her high-profile success at the French Open and US Open in recent years, grass season has proved to be more challenging for Swiatek recently. The 22-year-old's best performance at the London Grand Slam came in 2021 when she reached the fourth round.