US Open champion Sabalenka chases year-end number one ranking

BEIJING: Aryna Sabalenka said Tuesday that she wants to cap off a stellar year by returning to the top of the world rankings.

The world number two is the top seed at the China Open this week following the withdrawal of top-ranked Iga Swiatek, the defending champion, because of undisclosed “personal matters”. Fresh from winning the US Open, Sabalenka can take a large step towards overhauling the Pole at the top of the rankings with victory in Beijing.

“Of course that´s one of my goals, to finish the season at world number one,” the Belarusian, who won the Australian Open at the start of the year for a second time, said. But the 26-year-old added: “I´m not trying to focus on that, I´m trying to focus on my game. There is only three tournaments left.

“I´m just trying to bring my best tennis on court. After the season, I´ll see if it was enough to finish the year at number one or have to improve something else to get to number one.”

The three-time major champion first became world number one a year ago, before being usurped by Swiatek. “To be called the best player in the world, that means everything. It´s good to know that you´ve been doing the right thing, all of that hours of training, wasn´t a waste of time,” she said.

Sabalenka will be playing for the first time since beating Jessica Pegula in the final in New York earlier this month. She has a bye in the first round. Pegula also features at the prestigious 1000 WTA hardcourt event in the Chinese capital, along with fellow American Coco Gauff, four-time major champion Naomi Osaka and China´s Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen. The competition begins on Wednesday. A men´s ATP 500 event runs alongside the women´s tournament.