Iga Swiatek Dismisses Chasing WTA World Number One

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Vivek Devane | Last updated Sep 25, 2025 5:33 AM ET

World No. 2 Iga Swiatek has kicked off her Asian swing at the China Open fresh off her triumph at the Korea Open, where she captured the title after a tightly contested final. The victory has placed the Pole in a strong position to potentially reclaim the year-end No. 1 ranking from Aryna Sabalenka.

With no points to defend for the remainder of the season, Swiatek enjoys a relatively low-pressure path to the top spot. However, the six-time Grand Slam champion has been quick to dismiss the idea that chasing rankings is her priority.

“Well, I would say it's always something to be, like, there in the back, but it's not like it's a main focus,” Swiatek explained. “I already know that thinking about the rankings, it's not a way to go, no matter if you're No. 2 or no matter if you're No. 1. It's just kind of numbers.”

“But it doesn't change the fact that you need to kind of feel the tennis and focus on the improvement on the court, then the results are going to come after that,” she added.

The 23-year-old acknowledged that her approach this season differs from last year, when she admitted the pressure of defending the top ranking weighed on her.

“For sure it's a different situation than last year when I wasn't really able to defend my No. 1, like earn it. Yeah, so for sure I'm just happy that I'm here and I can compete and fight for it,” she said. “But I got to say, yeah, my main focus is more, like, tennis-related, how I want to play, how I feel on court, yeah.”

For Swiatek, the emphasis is clear: performance over points. And if her recent form is anything to go by, her focus on the game itself may very well guide her back to the top of the rankings

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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