Miami Open 2023: Aryna Sabalenka hoping to close gap on Iga Swiatek - 'Of course I want to be No. 1'

Aryna Sabalenka admits the success of rival Iga Swiatek has made her a better player as the Australia Open champion chases down the world No. 1 spot. The Belarusian progressed to the third round of the Miami Open with a 6-4 6-3 victory over Shelby Rogers on Friday and will now meet Marie Bouzkova next.

Ad With champion Swiatek forced to pull out of the tournament with a rib injury, Sabalenka is the highest-ranked player in the draw and therefore success in Miami would allow her to close the Pole’s 3,235-point lead in the WTA rankings. WTA MiamiJabeur hoping to 'make trouble' for Swiatek, Sabalenka, Rybakina on return to fitnessYESTERDAY AT 00:09 «Of course I want to be No. 1,” she said, per wtatennis.com.

She added: “Of course I want to win more Grand Slams, which is normal. I think every one of us, everyone wants to do that. “Probably that's why it helped me to stay focused and helped me to keep working and just keep doing my best every day.» Sabalenka won the most recent meeting with Swiatek when she got the better of her rival at the WTA Finals in November, emerging victorious after a pulsating three-set match to reach the final.

Swiatek had won all four previous matches against the 24-year-old, and Sabalenka admits she has learnt a lot from those encounters. «You always have to keep improving, keep learning, because a lot of young players are coming,» Sabalenka said. «For example, Swiatek, she's moving better.

So the first matches I played against her, I felt like physically I'm not ready. »I'm getting tired after a few points and that's not how I'm going to win this match. Ons Jabeur crashes out to Varvara Gracheva at Miami Open 'We're not friends' — Marta Kostyuk and Anastasia Potapova refuses to shake hands “So we