Iga Swiatek won't be the highest-ranked player on the WTA Tour on Monday after the 2023 US Open, as she'll lose the spot to Aryna Sabalenka.
For over a year, it seemed that no one would be able to stop the 22-year-old Pole from occupying the top spot in the WTA Rankings. However, times changed, and Aryna Sabalenka had a chance to dethrone Swiatek at almost every event that they played recently.
Another one of those chances came at the 2023 US Open, and the Belarusian needed to do one simple thing to overcome Swiatek in the rankings, reach the same round as her opponent. That happened on Saturday, when Sabalenka defeated Clara Burel, and the ball was on Swiatek's side.
However, the current world no. 1 couldn't defeat Jelena Ostapenko in her fourth-round match, meaning that regardless of the result of Sabalenka's match against Russia's Daria Kasatkina on Sunday, she will become a new world number 1.
It comes after the Polish player spent incredible 75 weeks atop of the rankings, surpassing the likes of Caroline Wozniacki, Simona Halep, Victoria Azarenka, Angelique Kerbe, Naomi Osaka, but also legends such as Tracy Austin, Maria Sharapova, Kim Clijsters, and Venus Williams.
On the other hand, Sabalenka will become the 29th player in the history of the WTA Rankings to hold the top spot, and only the second Belarusian since Azarenka occupied the spot back in 2013.
While Sabalenka will only start her journey as the world no. 1, Swiatek already sits in the Top 10 of time spent as the highest-ranked player on the WTA Tour, and while her number will now be stopped for at least one week, the Polish player will certainly want to regain the spot as soon as possible.
On the other hand, Sabalenka, with the world no. 1 spot secured, will now focus on trying to win her second Grand Slam title of the season at the 2023 US Open.
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