Iga Swiatek highlights she wants to be world No. 1 again but admits that is looking like a long shot at the moment, considering that she has a ton of points to defend.
Following last year’s US Open quarterfinal exit, the Pole also automatically lost the top spot to Aryna Sabalenka. Then, she was hit with a silent doping ban, which forced her to miss two WTA 1000 and one WTA 500 tournament in Asia. During that time, the Belarusian was absolutely outstanding and increased her rankings lead.
The start to 2025 hasn’t been that great for Swiatek either and she is currently behind Sabalenka by 2,231 ranking points. And with the clay season around the corner – during which she will defend 2,000 points at the French Open and 1,000 ranking points at each Madrid and Rome – it doesn’t look promising for the 23-year-old
“Well, of course it matters. Like, this is something we work for. But mathematically it’s going to be tough for me to come back to No. 1 1 soon, even if I would win all the tournaments, I think,” Swiatek acknowledged.
Swiatek: It’s not like Sabalenka will magically start to play badly
Being behind in the rankings and having a lot of points to defend isn’t the only challenge that the Pole is facing right now – the Belarusian three-time Grand Slam champion has already been to three finals this year and she means business.
“I was winning a lot last year in early part of the season. I’m just focusing on the work. If I’m going to play well, it’s going to come back. Also Aryna is playing well. Like, no one expects her to drop suddenly. She’s doing [a] good job. I think we’re both competing at, like, similar level. We both deserve to fight for the spot,” Swiatek explained.
Meanwhile, both Swiatek and Sabalenka have been through to the quarterfinal of the WTA 1000 tournament in Miami.
Tennis World USA