Iga Swiatek’s Asia swing could decide battle for WTA Rankings No 1 spot
Iga Swiatek is set to finally play at the Korea Open after missing the 2024 edition and a good run at this year’s event could help her in her bid to reclaim the No 1 spot in the WTA Rankings.
The Pole didn’t compete in any regular WTA tournaments after the 2024 US Open as she first withdrew from the Korea Open because of fatigue and later the China Open due to “personal matters”.
The former world No 1 then also announced she would skip the Wuhan Open after making an “important change” to her team following the decision to split with long-time coach Tomasz Wiktorowski and her final appearance on the WTA Tour coming at the season-ending WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia.
However, it later emerged that Swiatek was serving a one-month suspension after she tested positive for the banned drug trimetazidine at the Cincinnati Open.
Anti-doping officials found that she bore “no significant fault or negligence” and stripped her of her points and prize money for the Cincinnati event while also handing her a short ban.
She was due to make her debut at the Korea Open last year, but she ended up missing the entire swing in Asia.
But the six-time Grand Slam winner is now set to fulfil her obligation in Seoul as she is on the entry list for the 2025 edition and is set to be the top seed at the WTA 500 event.
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American Amanda Anisimova, the player Swiatek beat in the 2025 Wimbledon final, will also play along with Ekaterina Alexandrova, Clara Tauson and Daria Kasatkina while there could still be some late high-profile wildcard entrants.
The Seoul tournament will run from September 15 to 21 and Swiatek’s appearance could well depend on her performance at the US Open as players who reach the final of a Grand Slam often end up taking an extended break.
After the Korea Open, the world No 2 is set to play at the China Open (September 24 to October 5) and the Wuhan Open (October 6-12).
The 24-year-old has only played at the Beijing once and that was in 2023 when she won the title.
Swiatek looks set to return to No 1 in the WTA Rankings in the coming months following her incredible form the past few months as she won Wimbledon and the Cincinnati Open.
The Pole is unlikely to overtake Sabalenka immediately after the US Open as she will have to win the title and then hope both the Belarusian and Gauff lose early.
However, she has no points to defend during the Asia swing due to her suspension last year while her main rivals Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff with the former set to drop 1,215 points and Gauff 1,390.
But she has also played down the battle for the No 1 ranking, saying: “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.”
