Aryna Sabalenka can end a spectacular season by securing the year-end world primary rating, whereas Iga Swiatek will eye a late surge to reclaim prime spot because the duo take centre stage on the WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia from Saturday.
Sabalenka retained the Australian Open title in January, lifted the U.S. Open trophy and triumphed in Cincinnati and Wuhan to leapfrog Swiatek and prime the WTA rankings final month.
5-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek made a robust begin to the season and has bagged 5 titles, together with her fourth French Open crown, however the 23-year-old from Poland ran out of steam and skipped the current Asian swing attributable to fatigue.
The pair are the one gamers to carry the primary rating since April 2022 and can battle exhausting for year-end glory in addition to 1,500 factors and greater than a 3rd of the $15 million prize pot within the capital Riyadh.
“Yeah, that’s positively one of many targets,” stated Sabalenka.
“I’ve all the time been saying that for me it’s about ending the yr because the world primary. I’ll do the whole lot I can to complete the yr as world primary.
“… Anytime we come to the event, we wish to win. That’s the primary objective. I’m attempting to be targeted on the primary half. Then, if I’ll be capable to end the yr as primary, it’ll be superb and I’ll be tremendous comfortable.”
Sabalenka, 26, was in an analogous place final season, when she arrived on the WTA Finals in Cancun, Mexico, needing to fend off Swiatek to complete on the prime however the 26-year-old Belarusian was unsuccessful in her bid.
Successful three spherical robin matches or reaching the ultimate are a few of the methods Sabalenka can retain prime spot this yr, whereas Swiatek must efficiently defend the trophy to have any likelihood of overtaking her.
“Clearly we’re each combating for this spot. It’s been us mainly, over the previous few years,” Swiatek stated.
“I’m within the event. I wish to play my finest and win. I’m going to give attention to my first match and do the whole lot step-by-step.
“She’s an ideal participant. She additionally deserves to be primary. For positive, I’m going to struggle for me to be in that place.”
Seeking to make life tough for the duo are the likes of Zheng Qinwen, Jasmine Paolini, Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina and Barbora Krejcikova.
INTENSE DEBATE
This yr’s WTA Finals, which run for per week from Saturday, has been the topic of intense debate in the previous few months after Riyadh received the correct to host it till 2026.
Saudi Arabia has invested closely in sports activities like soccer, Formulation One and golf in the previous few years whereas critics accuse the dominion of utilizing its Public Funding Fund to “sportswash” its human rights report.
The nation denies accusations of human rights abuses and says it protects its nationwide safety by means of its legal guidelines.
WTA chief Steve Simon stated final yr that Saudi Arabia offered “large points” as a number for ladies’s tour occasions, but in addition acknowledged the progress it had made and continued to have interaction with gamers earlier than the WTA Finals deal was struck.
There had additionally been push-back from tennis greats Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova, who stated that the WTA’s values had been in distinction to these of Saudi Arabia.
“Our choice was made with full session with our gamers and our tournaments,” WTA CEO Portia Archer stated. “That led to the choice to return right here and being snug with it.
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“… We predict it’ll assist girls in tennis and allow some very optimistic issues to return out of us being right here that can final nicely past the eight days we’re right here this yr and successively the subsequent two years after we host the event right here.”
The season finale may even characteristic the highest eight doubles groups on the earth.
WTA Finals singles draw:
Purple Group:
Aryna Sabalenka
Jasmine Paolini
Elena Rybakina
Zheng Qinwen
Orange Group:
Iga Swiatek
Coco Gauff
Jessica Pegula
Barbora Krejcikova