Aryna Sabalenka has been at the top of the rankings since October 2024.
She’s managed to stay ahead of a tough group on the WTA Tour, including Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina, and Coco Gauff.
After her fourth-round victory at the Miami Open, Sabalenka was informed of how long she’d held onto number one.
Her reaction made it clear she wasn’t expecting it…
Aryna Sabalenka reacts to 83 weeks at number one
Speaking to the ‘Tennis Channel’, Sabalenka was asked what she thought about that statistic.
“Wow,” she responded.
“That’s an impressive number. Crazy!”
Sabalenka was then asked if she keeps a close eye on those kinds of numbers.
She replied: “No, not the ranking stats. Ranking is important, but not really important.
“I think it’s all about how you improve your game, how you focus on getting better as a player and a person every day. I think it’s all about that and trying to focus on the right thing.”
The Belarusian now sits 11th in the all-time list for weeks at number one.
If she ever hopes to catch Steffi Graf at the top, though, there is a long road ahead. And in truth, catching Graf probably isn’t realistic.
The gap between Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina – currently ranked second – is already more than 2,000 points. That lead could grow even further in Miami…
Aryna Sabalenka previews Miami Open quarterfinal vs Hailey Baptiste
Sabalenka, who is the defending champion, has moved into the Miami Open quarterfinals without dropping a set.
In her next match, she’ll face American Hailey Baptiste.
Speaking ahead of their matchup, Sabalenka was caught off guard when told it would be their first meeting.
“Is it really the first meeting?” Sabalenka asked.
“I really thought we played somewhere…
“But I’ve been watching her game, especially here in Miami.
“She is playing incredible tennis, serving well.
Baptiste has been impressive throughout the tournament and has reached her first WTA 1000 quarterfinal without losing a set. She may not have come up against a top-seeded player yet but she hasn’t put a foot wrong so far in 2026.
If Sabalenka gets through this one then she’ll face either Elena Rybakina or Jessica Pegula for a place in the final with Gauff or Karolina Muchova potentially waiting in the final. There’s still plenty of tennis to play between now and then and you can never rule out upsets at this stage of the tournament.
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