Is Qatar Open finalist Anett Kontaveit a future world number one?

Anett Kontaveit will go up against Iga Świątek in the final of the Qatar Open this afternoon.

The Estonian reached her seventh WTA Tour final in as many months by defeating Jeļena Ostapenko 6-1, 6-4 yesterday.

If Kontaveit overcomes Świątek in Doha, she will win her first WTA 1000 title. She will also extend her winning streak to 10 matches in a row.

The 26-year-old has enjoyed a remarkable rise in months. In fact, she only made seven WTA finals between April 2017 and June 2021, winning just one title.

Kontaveit has now matched that in just seven months, claiming five titles. She has particularly thrived indoors, extending her indoor win streak to 20 matches earlier this month.

The star became just the sixth female player to earn at least 20 consecutive indoor wins since 1989, and the last to do so in over a decade.

With Kontaveit currently sitting at world number seven, there are now questions about whether she can rise up to world number one.

According to tennis journalist José Morgado, Kontaveit could well bump Ashleigh Barty off the top spot.

“Considering all the points Barty defends between March and July, a Grand Slam semifinal in Europe should be enough for Anett Kontaveit to the new world number one,” he wrote on Twitter.

“By far the best WTA events player in the last 6 months. So impressive.”

Considering all the points Barty defends between March and July, a Grand Slam semifinal in Europe should be enough for Anett Kontaveit to the new world number one. By far the best WTA events player in the last 6 months. So impressive

Kontaveit has indeed been one of the best players on the WTA Tour for the past month, but does this mean she could soar up to world number one?

Some have discredited Morgado’s idea, claiming