Sabalenka Tries To Seal Year-end No.1 Spot At WTA Finals
Umer Jamshaid Published October 28, 2023 | 08:20 AM
Cancún, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Oct, 2023) Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka will try to hold off Poland's second-placed Iga Swiatek for the year-end world number one spot when the WTA Finals begin Sunday at Cancun, Mexico.
The $9 million season-ending outdoor hardcourt showdown of eight top players features round-robin group matches to decide semi-final pairings ahead of the November 5 championship match.
Sabalenka, the reigning Australian Open champion, was the runner-up in last month's US Open and reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon and the French Open.
The 25-year-old from Belarus also won WTA titles this year at Madrid and Adelaide and enters the WTA Finals with a 630-point lead over 22-year-old reigning French Open champion Swiatek.
Four-time Grand Slam winner Swiatek, the 2022 year-end world number one, also took 2023 titles at Stuttgart, Qatar, Poland and earlier this month at Beijing.
Sabalenka can clinch the year-end top spot by reaching the final with a 2-1 group stage record no matter what Swiatek does.
"It's not just about becoming world number one," Sabalenka said last month in China.
"I think it's about finishing the year as world number one and staying there as long as you can."
If Swiatek loses a round-robin match, Sabalenka can secure the year-end number one by going unbeaten in group play or reaching the final.
Should Swiatek drop two matches in the group stage, a 2-1 round-robin record would be enough to make Sabalenka the year-end rankings leader.
Swiatek, this year's WTA match wins leader with 63, must make the final to have a chance at the year-end number one provided Sabalenka plays all her group matches.
If Sabalenka wins even one group-stage match, Swiatek would need to win the title for a chance at the throne.
Others in the field include 19-year-old US Open champion Coco Gauff, fellow American Jessica Pegula, Greece's Maria Sakkari, Ons Jabeur of Tunisia, Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina and Czech Marketa Vondrousova, the reigning Wimbledon champion.
Sabalenka became world number one after her run to the US Open final in September, ending Swiatek's 75-week reign atop the rankings after reaching number one for the first time in April 2022.
In last year's WTA Finals, Sabalenka snapped a four-match losing streak to Swiatek with a semi-final triumph but dropped the final to France's Caroline Garcia.
In two meetings this year, both in the WTA clay finals, Swiatek won at Stuttgart and Sabalenka won at Madrid.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
Rupee slightly goes up against US dollar in interbank
Gold prices go down in Pakistan by Rs500 per tola
Army committed to dismantle terrorist groups, ensure protection of people: DG IS ..
"The New realme Note 50 Breaks Sales Records for The Month of April”
Vivo Y100 is Now Available in Pakistan with Color Changing Design & 80W FlashCha ..
Zero-tolerance policy to continue against overbilling: Mohsin Naqvi
Govt working to extend retirement age to 65 years: Finance Minister
Synergy Group wins big at the Effie Awards 2024
Pakistani couple makes history by passing CSS exam together
ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Indian board makes important statement
Currency Rate In Pakistan - Dollar, Euro, Pound, Riyal Rates On 7 May 2024
Today Gold Rate in Pakistan 07 May 2024
More Stories From World
-
Al Jazeera to pursue legal action 'until the end' over Israel ban
31 minutes ago -
Macron hosts Xi in French mountains to press messages on Ukraine, trade
41 minutes ago -
Olympic flame to arrive in France ahead of Paris Olympics
51 minutes ago -
Ukraine says thwarted Russian-led plot to kill Zelensky
1 hour ago -
S.Africa rescuers say in contact with 11 people in collapsed building
1 hour ago -
Israel sends tanks into Rafah and seizes key crossing
2 hours ago
-
Italy regional president, ex-port boss arrested for graft
2 hours ago -
Putin, launching fifth term, promises Russians victory
2 hours ago -
Rescuers search for survivors in deadly S.Africa building collapse
2 hours ago -
'Together we will win': Putin tells Russians at inauguration
3 hours ago -
Cricket: Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe second T20 scores
3 hours ago -
Ambassador Hashmi visits CATIC headquarters, meets Chairman Liu Yu
3 hours ago