Aryna Sabalenka’s year-end No 1 ranking bid: How many matches does she still need to win?

Shahida Jacobs 30 Oct 2023 6:34 AM

Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus acknowledges the spectators

Aryna Sabalenka brushed aside Maria Sakkari in their opening group match of the WTA Finals in Cancun, Mexico, to move within touching distance of the year-end No 1 ranking.

The reigning world No 1 dropped only one game as she produced a commanding display, winning 6-0, 6-1 in just 74 minutes to take her head-to-head record against Sakkari to 7-3, including 3-0 in 2023.

“The score looks really easy, but it wasn’t an easy match,” Sabalenka, who hopes to hold off Iga Swiatek to top spot in the rankings, said.

The Australian Open champion added: “She’s an amazing player. She’s always fighting for every ball.

“I knew no matter what the score is that she would fight for it. That’s what makes her a really tough opponent.

“You know against Maria, any time she can come back. You give her a little bit and she’ll take that and keep fighting. I just tried to stay in the moment.”

The World No. 1 has come to play 🎾@SabalenkaA defeats Sakkari to secure her opening match in the Bacalar Group.#WTAFinals pic.twitter.com/Mspvh9mbdq

— wta (@WTA) October 30, 2023

What Sabalenka needs to do in Cancun…

The win edged Sabalenka one step closer to finishing the year at the top of the WTA Rankings as she is only two more round-robin match wins away from securing top spot and becoming the 16th different WTA year-end No 1.

If she does end up losing one of her two remaining matches in the Bacalar Group, then she will need to reach the final to ensure her status as the year-end No 1, although Swiatek will then need to win the title.

Sabalenka picked up 250 points on Sunday – 125 for playing and 125 for the victory – and moved to 8,675 in the Live Race to open an 880-point lead over her rival.

The Bacalar Group had one other match on the opening day in Mexico as Jessica Pegula also claimed a comfortable win with the American defeating Elena Rybakina 7-5, 6-2.

“I feel like she just made a couple of careless errors and I was able to take advantage of it at the right time and ride that momentum all the way through the second set,” Pegula told Tennis Channel.

“I thought I was returning really well, reading her serve a little bit more, and was able to play some good tennis.”

Sabalenka will face Rybakina in the next match while Pegula takes on Sakkari.

Attention switches to the Chetumal Group on Monday and Four-time Grand Slam winner Swiatek kicks off her campaign against Marketa Vondrousova while Coco Gauff takes on Ons Jabeur.