‘She Deserved It’ – Humble Iga Swiatek Refuses to Accept Her WTA No.1 Crown Despite Overtaking Rival Aryna Sabalenka

Just like the ATP, the WTA also saw a year of complete ups and downs. After holding the number one spot in the WTA rankings for so long, Aryna Sabalenka was finally dethroned from her spot, thanks to incredible performances throughout the year by Iga Swiatek. In the last match of the season, Swiatek got hold of the first rank. However, she has nothing but truly encouraging words for Sabalenka.

Despite winning the top crown, Iga Swiatek had nothing but respect for her rival. In a recent revelation, Iga Swiatek came ahead and talked about the miraculous season that her rival Aryna Sabalenka had and how she deserved to hold the first spot in the WTA rankings.

Iga Swiatek presents a respectful gesture to Aryna Sabalenka after she ends the year as the number 1 player

In a recent revelation, Iga Swiatek showed true sportsmanship by praising Aryna Sabalenka’s amazing season, even after defeating her in the WTA Finals semis. Swiatek believed Sabalenka deserved to end the year as the top-ranked player and acknowledged her incredible achievements.

Swiatek further went ahead to add that Sabalenka truly had a remarkable season this year where she managed to win the Australian Open, made her way into the finals of the US Open, and make her way into the semi-finals on two different occasions, one at the French Open and the other one at Wimbledon.

“She deserved it,” said Swiatek. “She had a great season. She won a Grand Slam, was in the final of another Grand Slam and in two semi-finals, so it was an amazing season.”

Thus, after a remarkable year, Aryna Sabalenka truly deserved to finish the year as the number 1 player in women’s tennis. Thus despite a fruitful year, Sabalenka could not finish the year as the number 1 player and had to settle for the second spot. Meanwhile, Swiatek has already been well acquainted with the harsh realities associated with the top position.

Also read: We Know You Don’t Like Iga. Stop Being Unpleasant..’- 66YO Martina Navratilova Faces Flak from Tennis Fans as Her Remarks on Iga Swiatek Sparks Controversy

Further in the interview, she went ahead and suggested how the season went for her. She also talked about how the pressure to stay at the top spot was very ‘overwhelming‘ for her.

Iga Swiatek suggests that the pressure to stay at the top was ‘overwhelming’

In the same interview, Swiatek came ahead and talked about how she felt while holding her number 1 spot in WTA rankings. She said that it was a very demanding season that taught her a lot of lessons. Swiatek further went ahead to add that the results at the end exceeded all her expectations.

“It was certainly a demanding season that taught me a lot and which makes me even more proud. This year-end result exceeded all my expectations,” said Swiatek. While talking about her spot, she suggested that the pressure that she had while standing at the top was overwhelming. “I just preferred to focus on other things, because the pressure related to the No. 1 spot was a bit overwhelming in the middle of the season,” she further continued.

Thus, Aryna Sabalenka, who had a wonderful 2023 year was dethroned of her number 1 spot in the WTA rankings by Iga Swiatek. However, Swiatek appreciated her opponent for a tremendous season and suggested she was a worthy candidate while reflecting on her season.

Watch this story: Distressing Serena Williams Reality Leaves Gaping Void That’s Nearly Impossible to Fill for Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek