Last year’s battle for the WTA year-end finish was strongly between Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka for months. The Polish star fought hard weeks before the year ended to topple Sabalenka, but that came at a prize, as her coach Tomasz Wiktorowski revealed.
For context, Swiatek began the 2023 season as World No.1 despite not winning the Australian Open. She maintained her position by winning the French Open and reaching the quarterfinals of the Wimbledon. However, semifinal reach in Canada and the Cincinnati Open saw her lead reduce leading up to the US Open.
A Round of 16 exit at the 2023 US Open was not enough to keep her lead as eventual runners-up Aryna Sabalenka leapfrogged her in No.1 position. The 22-year-old fought hard in the Asian swing before ultimately winning the WTA Finals to regain her spot. She ended the year as WTA No.1.