Sabalenka deserved to finish as year-end No 1, says Swiatek

Iga Swiatek finished her year on top of the pile, but thinks her rival would have deserved that prize as well

Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek in the final of the Mutua Madrid Open (Antoine Couvercelle/Panoramic)

December 8, 2023

Iga Swiatek won the WTA Finals and stole the year-end world No 1 spot from Aryna Sabalenka – but the Pole says her rival would have fully deserved to top the rankings come the conclusion of 2023.

“It was certainly a demanding season that taught me a lot and which makes me even more proud. This year-end result exceeded all my expectations – the fact that I came back to No 1 and that it happened in Cancun with all the pressure and strange circumstances,” Swiatek told Eurosport Poland.

Sabalenka won her first-ever Grand Slam in Australia at the start of the year, and also reached the final of the US Open, where she lost to Coco Gauff but took the world No 1 ranking for the first time. She stayed on top until the WTA Finals, where she lost in the semi-finals to Swiatek, who returned to the top of the pile.

Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek at the 2022 World Tennis League in Dubai

“She deserved it,” said Swiatek. “She had a great season. She won a Grand Slam, was in the final of another Grand Slam and in two semi-finals, so it was an amazing season.

“I just preferred to focus on other things, because the pressure related to the No 1 spot was a bit overwhelming in the middle of the season.

“For this reason, I didn’t play very freely until the US Open, and then I knew that I just had to change this attitude and approach the next tournaments differently, just be a different player who didn’t focus on all that things – although I always try to do it, but it doesn’t always work out.”