Iga Swiatek is set to face a fresh challenge from her closest rivals, who are bidding to dethrone her from the World No. 1 spot early next season.
Swiatek lost her number one ranking during the course of 2023 to Aryna Sabalenka but managed to reclaim her throne by beating the Belarusian at the WTA Finals and winning the tournament.
But Swiatek knows there is still a possibility that the No. 1 spot could change hands in January. And so, the onus is on her to try and quell that threat. The Pole will be among the favorites to win the Australian Open.
In this article, we shall examine which players are in contention to knock Swiatek from the top spot and what they'll possibly need to do to achieve that goal.
Who can overtake Swiatek in the rankings during the Australian swing?
Only one player is mathematically capable of overtaking Swiatek by the end of the Australian swing, and that is a player who has done it before - Aryna Sabalenka.
How can Swiatek keep her World No. 1 ranking by the end of the Australian Open?
The current World No. 2 is 245 points behind the Pole in the rankings. However, Sabalenka is set to drop 470 points (champion in Adelaide last season) and 2000 points by virtue of winning her first Grand Slam at the 2023 Australian Open.
Meanwhile, Swiatek drops 120 points (United Cup) and an extra 240 points after reaching the fourth round in Melbourne last season. So, Sabalenka's points tally will stand at 6,580, while Swiatek's will be 8,930 at the start of the Australian swing.
Because Swiatek has much to gain, all the pressure is on Sabalenka. The Belarusian powerhouse is defending two titles and a whopping 2,470 points. So the advantage is very much with the Pole.
After factoring in the points set to go off, the gap between them will be 2,350. This means Swiatek could virtually end Sabalenka's hopes of becoming No. 1 this January simply by garnering as little as 150 points from the United Cup. Then, the gap would be unbridgeable.
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