Aryna Sabalenka is all smiles at the WTA Finals. Now ranked No. 1, she’s not letting the pressure get to her. Instead, she’s focused on ending the year on a high note. The energy is electric in Riyadh, as the top eight players battle for the coveted WTA Finals trophy. Competing in the Purple Group, Sabalenka faces tough contenders like Elena Rybakina, Jasmine Paolini, and Qinwen Zheng and she aims to bring a fun vibe to the competition, lifting spirits amid the intensity.

During an interview in Riyadh, Sabalenka expressed her excitement about becoming the No. 1 player in the world. She remains hopeful about finishing the year as No. 1 as well, stating, “I definitely have a lot of belief and confidence that I can do well in this tournament.”

Sabalenka’s lively personality shines through on social media. She’s active on TikTok and Instagram, sharing snippets of her life—from daily updates to fun challenges. The interviewer noted that she is “living her best life!” On October 31st, she posted a TikTok with her longtime rival Iga Swiatek, showcasing how they handle the intense atmosphere of competition. Talking about that, Sabalenka humorously added, “I feel like I’m putting them under pressure, I’m like, ‘We’re doing this TikTok, guys, we will do it!’”

The video captures their playful side, as they can be seen dancing in front of a phone on the ground. It transitions to Iga stepping on the phone and picking it up, revealing their stunning looks for the WTA Finals photoshoot. Sabalenka dazzles in an emerald green gown, while Iga shines in a lovely blue dress. The glow-up from sports attire to glamorous outfits was a unique twist!

Reflecting on the video, Aryna said, “I think we could do a little bit better but it was good for the first time, but it was actually quite fun.” Fans loved the video regardless of Sabalenka’s self-critique! The Belarusian shared how the idea came about, “I had this idea to do this transition, and I just came to her and I was like, ‘Do you want to do that?’ and she’s like, ‘Yeah why not.”

Contrary to what many might expect, Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek maintain a friendly rivalry. Now, as she heads into the WTA Finals, the stakes are high for the Belarusian to hold onto her top spot. It’s refreshing to see that these two famous rivals share no bad blood. Even after dethroning Iga, Sabalenka expressed curiosity about how she overtook the Pole in the rankings.

Sabalenka reveals the moment she found out about her No.1 ranking from her boyfriend!

In a press conference before the WTA Finals in Riyadh, Aryna Sabalenka shared the funny moment when she found out she was ranked No. 1. “I woke up that morning and my boyfriend was like, ‘Congrats, you became world number one,’ I was like, ‘What? I didn’t do anything, kind of like in that moment.” Sabalenka earned this spot after winning the Wuhan Open on October 13, overcoming a 69-point deficit to lead Iga Swiatek by 41 points when the rankings were updated on October 21.

On the other hand, Iga’s drop in ranking came from missing mandatory tournaments. She only played in two of the six required WTA 500 events. Additionally, she hadn’t competed since her quarter-final exit at the US Open in early September. This opened the door for Sabalenka, who has been consistently strong all year.

While her boyfriend celebrated her success, Aryna wondered, “Where did she (Swiatek) lose those 100 points?” She admitted, “I didn’t expect that,” but she’s focused on finishing the year as No. 1, “I want to finish the year as No. 1, then I’ll be ok.” 

Now their TikTok adventure gives a fresh perspective to their rivalry. The video was a hit, but during filming, they had a humorous moment when Iga Swiatek accidentally broke Aryna’s phone! Even though Swiatek isn’t super active on social media, she playfully apologized on her Instagram story. With both players gearing up to compete again, the excitement for their match is palpable.

In her first match at the WTA Finals, Aryna Sabalenka beat Zheng again with a score of 6-3, 6-4, while Swiatek took down Barbora Krejcikova. Both players are on a roll, and the stakes are just getting higher. If the two meet again at some point in the tournament, Sabalenka will be looking for revenge after losing to Iga in last year’s Finals. Will she get her revenge? Only time will tell!