Paris: Poland’s Iga Swiatek may have failed to add the WTA Finals title to her French and US Open crowns but finishes the year a dominant number one in the women’s tennis rankings.
The 21-year-old extended her points advantage over world number two Ons Jabeur of Tunisia despite losing to big-serving Belarus Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals in Texas last week.
It is the first time Swiatek has finished on top of the year end rankings. Swiatek’s remarkable season included eight singles titles and a run of 37 straight match victories. Sabalenka ended her 15-match winning streak against top 10 players.
Swiatek’s path to the top was eased by the shock retirement in March of Australia’s Ashleigh Barty, who finished number one from 2019-2021.
Sabalenka lost in the final to France’s Caroline Garcia – who became the second French woman to win the title following Amelie Mauresmo in 2005.
Both finalists in the WTA season-ender in Texas on Monday rise two places – Garcia to fourth and Sabalenka to fifth.
WTA rankings (Russia and Belarus athletes not allowed to represent their nations
because of the Russian
invasion of Ukraine):
1. Iga Swiatek (POL) 11085 pts
2. Ons Jabeur (TUN) 5055
3. Jessica Pegula (USA) 4691
4. C Garcia (FRA) 4375 (+2)
5. Aryna Sabalenka 3925 (+2)
6. Maria Sakkari (GRE) 3871 (-1)
7. Coco Gauff (USA) 3646 (-3)
8. Daria Kasatkina 3435
9. Veronika Kudermetova 2795
10. Simona Halep (ROM) 2661
11. Madison Keys (USA) 2417
12. B Bencic (SUI) 2365 (+1)
13. Paula Badosa (ESP) 2363 (-1)
14. Danielle Collins (USA) 2292
15. B Haddad Maia (BRA) 2215
16. Petra Kvitova (CZE) 2097
17. Anett Kontaveit (EST) 2093
18. Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) 1986
19. Ekaterina Alexandrova 1910
20. Liudmila Samsonova 1910
Iga Swiatek
