The year 2024 is drawn to a close with a special WTA record. Moreover, the record creators are the top guns of the WTA tour: Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, and Elena Rybakina. The WTA roster is in full swing. And a lot is yet to be seen as we approach the WTA Finals. However, one thing is certain – the 5 stars mentioned above will eventually be at the top and that’s exactly what the record implies.
In 2023, the WTA top-5 rankings were Swiatek, Sabalenka, Gauff, Rybakina, and Pegula. This year again, the same stars are in the top-5. Though it appears so, the same players in the top bracket two years in a row aren’t common. Except for the 2020 COVID ranking freeze, a repetition of the same players on the top hasn’t happened since 2011-2012. Back then, the players who achieved this feat included Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djoković, Andy Murray, and David Ferrer.
With all said and done, the WTA Finals, set to take place in Riyadh, will see top 8 combat for the year-end championship. Other than the first 5, only Jasmine Paolini has qualified for the Finals right now. That means two spots are still open on the race to the Finals leaderboard.
The world no. 6 is the first Italian qualifier in singles since Flavia Pennetta, who made it into the Finals in 2015. Besides the top, wild card entry is allowed for Grand Slam champions ranked between 8-20. The big question boils up.
Will Aryna Sabalenka replace Iga Swiatek for the top spot?
Iga Swiatek, Sabalenka, and Pegula have been in the top 5 for over 3 years. Gauff and Rybakina made it to the top unit last year. Movements are expected to happen in the rankings at the WTA Finals. With her dominating performance in Wuhan, Sabalenka has reached closer to Swiatek than ever before. The rest of the ladies in the top 5 are rather close to one another, with just a difference of a few hundred points.
Sabalenka is eyeing the top spot – but not so much that it shakes her focus. During a post-match interview in Wuhan, the Belarusian said, “Of course, this is something I really want to do (become number one), it is one of my goals. But I learned in the past that if you focus on the rankings and defending points and all that kind of pressure, things can easily go wrong. So I prefer to focus on myself and when I’m on court I just try to bring my best tennis and fight for every point.”
The Finals will ultimately decide the ultimate rankings. However, if Sabalenka wins all three of her group stage contests, her ascent to the top is certain irrespective of Iga Swiatek’s performance. The Belarusian tennis player is the favorite, considering she comes from a grand victory in Wuhan. Her toughest rival, Swiatek, on the other hand, hasn’t been on court since her US Open upset.
What do you think the final rankings will look like? Let us know in the comments below.
The post Ahead of WTA Finals, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, and Top WTA Stars Become Part of a Special Record appeared first on EssentiallySports.
