Iga Swiatek makes No 1 ranking admission after closing the gap to Aryna Sabalenka
Iga Swiatek’s trophy-winning form in recent months has seen her surge back up the WTA Rankings, and now she has a chance of regaining the No 1 position.
Having slipped down to No 8 following her failure to defend her Madrid Open, Italian Open and French Open titles, Swiatek return to form at Wimbledon as she won her maiden title at the All England Club. That was her first title in more than a year as her last trophy before her SW19 run was at Roland Garros in 2024.
After losing in the fourth round of the Canadian Open, the Pole won her second title of the year at the Cincinnati Open on Monday as she defeated Jasmine Paolini in straight sets.
With her two big titles, Swiatek has returned to No 2 in the rankings and she finds herself 3,292 points behind Sabalenka, but the gap will narrow further in the Live Rankings at the start of the US Open.
Sabalenka is the defending champion in New York so she will drop 2,000 points at the start of the tournament with the Pole dropping only 430 and Coco Gauff dropping just 230.
As a result, Swiatek or Gauff could replace Sabalenka at No 1 after the tournament if they win the US Open and the three-time Grand Slam winner loses early.
Swiatek was last top of the rankings in October 2024 while Gauff has peaked at No 2.
Of course, it is a tough ask and when asked after the Cincinnati Open final if she is thinking about regaining the No 1 spot, Swiatek replied: “I don’t think about it, because I know Aryna is having a great season too, so I know it will just depend on how I play.
“And honestly, this season hasn’t been easy, and I’ve had a lot of other things to worry about and a lot of other things to improve on, so I’m not thinking about it at all.”
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Swiatek admitted during the post-match presentation ceremony that she has been shocked by her recent titles as she has “ticked off” another two big titles from her to-do list.
“It’s a fantastic feeling. I have to say, last year I came here after the Olympics, so I literally considered this tournament as a kind of transition before the US Open,” she added.
“But yes, two years ago and this year, I really wanted it, and that’s why I’m happy, and it’s nice to tick another tournament off the list that I hadn’t won. It’s a great motivation to keep going.”
But the focus quickly switches to New York for the US Open.
“The ball is the same, but the courts…If I remember correctly, I think this year here in Cincinnati the courts were a bit similar to the ones we had last year at the US Open, but they’re slowing down the courts every year, so I’m not sure what they’re like now in New York,” the six-time Grand Slam winner said.
“I’ll have to answer that question at the US Open after some practice and playing on one of the main courts. Tennis is all about adaptation. I’ve faced many different situations before, and I’ve always managed to be ready for the first match and adapt. So I hope that will be the case this time too.”
