Sabalenka, coming off a successful run at the US Open 2024, is aiming to defend her No. 1 seed at the China Open. She hopes to secure 9,501 points by winning the tournament, closing the gap with Swiatek to less than 400 points.
Already in Beijing for the WTA 1000 event, Sabalenka expressed her goal of finishing the season as the top-ranked WTA singles player during a press conference on Tuesday.
Although Sabalenka came close to claiming the year-end world No. 1 finish last season, Swiatek managed to regain the top spot by winning the WTA Finals in November.
With both players having points to collect at the upcoming WTA Finals in Riyadh, the battle for the year-end world No. 1 ranking is expected to intensify in the coming months.
Sabalenka, however, remains focused on improving her game rather than solely chasing Swiatek:
I’m not trying to focus on that. I’m trying to focus on my game.”
Aryna Sabalenka
With only three tournaments left in the season, Sabalenka is determined to give her best performance on the court and will assess whether she needs to make any improvements to reach the world No. 1 position.
Being recognized as the best player in the world holds significant meaning for Sabalenka, who hopes to inspire the younger generation of tennis players:
“I think as the best player in the world, you inspire young generation. For me, that’s been the main goal, always been the main goal for me. That would be really, really cool.”
Sabalenka has already received a bye in the first round of the China Open 2024 and is set to face a qualifier in the second round.
