Since she turned pro in 2015, one of Sabalenka’s dreams was to become World Number 1. She has said as much in interviews.
For the better part of those 8 years, she has been held back from the top ranking by the likes of Swiatek and the now-retired Ashley Barty. Now, its time for the 25-year-old Belarusian to step into the spotlight and claim the moniker of World Number 1.
Beginnings
Sabalenka is without a doubt one of the best female tennis players out there today. She turned pro in 2015 but she did not come into prominence until 2017 when she played on the Belarus Fed Cup team. She helped the country to a runner-up finish despite being ranked outside of the Top 75.
Born in Minsk, Sabalenkas dad was a former ice hockey player. She started getting into tennis by chance. By 2015, she was playing in low-level tennis events instead of the junior circuit after she was persuaded by the Belarusian Tennis Federation to do so.
Grand Slams and Majors
She made her Grand Slam main draw debut in 2017, making it to the second round of the Australian Open. In the same year, she was in the first round of her first WTA 1000 event, the Dubai/Qatar Open.
In 2018, she was in her first Grand Slam fourth round at the US Open. That year, she also won the Wuhan Open and was in the semifinals of the Cincinnati Open. The following year, she defended her Wuhan Open title. In 2020, she won the Dubai/Qatar Open then in 2021, she was the winner of the Madrid Open.
In 2023, she won her first Grand Slam title the Australian Open. The same year, she was also in the finals of the Indian Wells Open and the Madrid Open again. She also made it all the way to the semifinals of the Cincinnati Open.
Rising Through the Ranks
A young Sabalenka first broke into the Top 10 of the world rankings in November 2020.
She continued her rise in the rankings in 2022 and by the second quarter of 2023, she broke into the Top 5. Then on August 15, 2021, she became World Number 2 for the first time. She would hold that position until February of the next year when she dropped to Number 3.
Sabalenka kept dropping in the world rankings and was Number 8 by May 2022. She finished the year ranked Number 5.
After her Australian Open win, she rose back to Number 2 in the world rankings, behind Swiatek. She kept it through to the first week of September.
She had been kept away from the top spot by a couple of big hitters, including Barty who once said of Sabalenka:
“If Aryna really learns her game and her style and trusts that and backs herself, Barty told her coach Craig Tyzzer, then theres not going to be many people that can stop her.”
Barty was left impressed by Sabalenka back in 2018. That was more than 5 years ago. Back then, Sabalenka said that after she lost to Barty, she was shattered and thought to herself: Oh my God, I think I will never get it.
In total, she has been World Number 2 for a whopping 75 weeks.
Ready for World Number 1
This was the third Grand Slam that Sabalenka has had the chance to catch up with Swiatek.
Even before Roland Garros started, Sabalenka was asked if she was ready to become World Number 1.
“I think yes,” she said, smiling.
“I don’t know. Yes, I think so. I think I improved a lot, and I have everything to be No. 1. But I dont want to focus on that. I just want to focus on my game, and I just want to bring my best game every time on the court, and after the season we’ll see if I’m ready or not.”
She has also done a lot of preparation, including working on her mental health. She later revealed at the Australian Open that she has stopped working with her psychologist.
“I just have to take this responsibility and deal with that. I’m my psychologist,” Sabalenka said.
World Number 1
By the last week of August 2023. Sabalenka was hot on the heels of Iga Swiatek and was a little over 1,000 points from capturing World Number 1.
Swiatek who was defending champion at the 2022 US Open was broken by Jelena Ostapenko in Round 16. The loss also shaved 2000 points off her rankings which means whether Sabalenka, who is still in the running for the US Open title, wins or not, she will take over as World Number 1 come September 11, 2023.
The WTA has congratulated their new World Number 1 on Twitter, simply saying:
“Welcome to the number 1 spot…”
Welcome to the number 1 spot, @SabalenkaA pic.twitter.com/24PVMwx9lq
— wta (@WTA) September 4, 2023
WTA CEO and Chairman Steve Simon congratulated her calling her rise to Number 1 as an incredible achievement.
“Aryna’s rise to the top of the sport is an incredible achievement and I would like to congratulate her on becoming the new WTA World No.1 singles player,” said Simon.
“Like so many of our fans, Im excited to continue watching her success, with her on-court powerful and fearless shot-making and her off-court personality and lively character.”
Sabalenka has also made her feelings known about becoming World Number 1, saying:
“Reaching the WTA World No.1 singles ranking is something I have dreamed of ever since I was a little girl when I started playing tennis.
“2023 has been such an incredible year for me and my team and this is the perfect reward for all our hard work. Its an unbelievable feeling to join the amazing list of other WTA players to achieve this and its a huge honor to be able to call myself the No.1 singles player in the world.”