Iga Swiatek Opens Up: ‘I Don’t Mind’ Losing World No. 1 to Aryna Sabalenka During Tough Season

Iga Swiatek may have faced a rocky stretch recently—she split with her coach Tomasz Wiktorowski, missed key tournaments, and even saw her ranking slip from that coveted No. 1 spot. For many players, that combination could spell trouble. But Swiatek? She’s responded in her own, unmistakable style. Instead of viewing it as a setback, she’s taken it as a chance to reset, showcasing a calm confidence that’s quickly rallying her fans and surprising her critics.

The Polish tennis sensation engaged in an interaction with the reporters ahead of the WTA Finals and deliberated a wide range of factors including her expectations from the tournament and her recent hiatus from the courts. She also opened up about losing the World No. 1 position to Aryna Sabalenka, on October 21st, and highlighted that she did not actually mind losing it to the Belarusian star.

When quizzed if she was aware of the repercussions that might take place due to her absence from the courts, Swiatek made an honest admission. “Obviously I think I’m going to lose it like two weeks ago (smiling). Honestly, I don’t mind,”�she said. Remember, the Pole played her last tournament at the US Open, where she was ousted in the quarterfinals. She soon announced her split with her former coach and decided to miss numerous events including the entirety of the Asian Swing. Besides the absence, the player was also penalized for not fulfilling the mandatory requirements.

For the unversed, players must enter and play at least 6 WTA 500 events, as per the WTA rules. However, Swiatek could appear only in two of them and hence, the points from her worst campaign of the season were deducted. While Aryna Sabalenka also did not fulfil the criteria, she played 4 tournaments which gave her an edge over the Polish star. This helped her gain a 41-point lead over Swiatek, who amassed 9706 points as against 9665 of the Pole as of October 21. The upsurge of Sabalenka also ended the 11-month reign of Iga Swiatek thereby bringing her down in the points table. However, Swiatek is not just unbothered by the setback, she also considers her Belarusian counterpart an equally good contender for the position.

“She (Sabalenka) is a great player. She deserves to be world No 1,” Swiatek said as she gears up to face Barbora Krejcikova on Sunday. But despite being stoic and somewhat unbothered about losing her position, the 5-time Grand Slam winner is not letting her absence impact her performance in the WTA finals.

Iga Swiatek riding high on confidence at the WTA Finals

Iga Swiatek might have failed to make some significant presence lately, but she is determined to leave an impact in Riyadh. When questioned if she is worried because of her absence and not being active on the courts, the star player showcased her determination, revealing that she was never away from tennis.

Speaking on the media day, Swiatek said, “I think it’s not going to be a problem.”�Continuing further, she validated her remarks through her practice sessions against Sabalenka and Qinwen Zheng. “I don’t feel rusty. I played some points as well here with Aryna and [Zheng] Qinwen. Also, I’ve been practicing that way. I don’t feel like I missed a lot. I spent this time still playing tennis and for sure focusing on finding a new coach, making this transition. It’s always tricky.”�

With the tournament set to begin in a couple of hours, it would be interesting to see if Swiatek can prove her dominance on the courts yet again. Will Sabalenka continue to lead the ranking tally over the Pole? Well, only time will tell.