Sabalenka aims to deny Swiatek at WTA Finals, end year as number one

RIYADH : Aryna Sabalenka can finish a spectacular season by securing the year-end world number one ranking, while Iga Swiatek will eye a late surge to reclaim top spot as the duo take centre stage at the WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia from Saturday.

Sabalenka retained the Australian Open title in January, lifted the U.S. Open trophy and triumphed in Cincinnati and Wuhan to leapfrog Swiatek and top the WTA rankings last month.

Five-times Grand Slam champion Swiatek made a strong start to the season and has bagged five titles, including her fourth French Open crown, but the 23-year-old from Poland ran out of steam and skipped the recent Asian swing due to fatigue.

The pair are the only players to hold the number one ranking since April 2022 and will battle hard for year-end glory as well as 1,500 points and more than a third of the $15 million prize pot in the capital Riyadh.

"Yeah, that's definitely one of the goals," said Sabalenka.

"I've always been saying that for me it's about finishing the year as the world number one. I'll do everything I can to finish the year as world number one.

"... Anytime we come to the tournament, we want to win. That's the first goal. I'm trying to be focused on the first part. Then, if I'll be able to finish the year as number one, it'll be amazing and I'll be super happy."

Sabalenka, 26, was in a similar position last season, when she arrived at the WTA Finals in Cancun, Mexico, needing to fend off Swiatek to finish at the top but the 26-year-old Belarusian was unsuccessful in her bid.

Winning three round robin matches or reaching the final are some of the ways Sabalenka can retain top spot this year, while Swiatek needs to successfully defend the trophy to have any chance of overtaking her.

"Obviously