After narrowly missing the opportunity to claim the No.1 WTA ranking at the previous two Grand Slam events, Aryna Sabalenka has now seized her moment at the US Open. Her upcoming ascent to the top was greatly aided by Jelena Ostapenko, who delivered a stunning upset in the fourth round, dethroning the defending champion, Iga Swiatek, and paving the way for Sabalenka to achieve this career milestone.
On Monday, September 11, Sabalenka is poised to end Swiatek’s remarkable 75-week reign at the top spot, marking her the 29th woman in tennis history to ascend to the coveted singles ranking position. Moreover, Sabalenka will become just the eighth player ever to have held both the singles and doubles No.1 spots during her career, having also ascended to the top of the doubles rankings in February 2021.
The 25-year-old Sabalenka initially gained recognition in 2018 when she reached four finals across three different surfaces. So far, the Belarusian has played 23 Tour-level singles finals and won 13 titles, three of which came this year, including her first Grand Slam singles title at the Australian Open.
The 2023 US Open also marks a fashion milestone in Sabalenka’s career, as the Belarusian got her first custom tennis dress from Nike.
