Reigning Australian Open and US Open champion Aryna Sabalenka has clinched the WTA’s year-end No. 1 ranking for 2024 after Iga Swiatek’s defeat to Coco Gauff at the WTA Finals on Tuesday.
After Sabalenka won her first two round-robin matches of the week, against Zheng Qinwen on Saturday and Jasmine Paolini on Monday, Swiatek’s only chance of finishing the year at No. 1 was to win the title undefeated, and for Sabalenka to not win another match.
Though Swiatek can certainly still win the title, with her loss on Tuesday, she won’t be able to catch up to Sabalenka’s ranking points total anymore, no matter what happens the rest of the week.
And so, Sabalenka is guaranteed to finish the year at No. 1, becoming the 16th player in WTA rankings history to achieve the feat, and just the second player born in 1998 or later to do it, after Swiatek.
WTA rankings began in 1975, with Chris Evert the first year-end No. 1.
WTA YEAR-END NO. 1s (since 1975):
8 times: Steffi Graf [1987-1990, 1993-1996]
7 times: Martina Navratilova [1978-1979, 1982-1986]
5 times: Chris Evert [1975-1977, 1980-1981]
5 times: Serena Williams [2002, 2009, 2013-2015]
4 times: Lindsay Davenport [1998, 2001, 2004-2005]
3 times: Monica Seles [1991-1992, 1995]
3 times: Martina Hingis [1997, 1999-2000]
3 times: Justine Henin [2003, 2006-2007]
3 times: Ashleigh Barty [2019-2021]
2 times: Caroline Wozniacki [2010-2011]
2 times: Simona Halep [2017-2018]
2 times: Iga Swiatek [2022-2023]
1 time: Jelena Jankovic [2008]
1 time: Victoria Azarenka [2012]
1 time: Angelique Kerber [2016]
1 time: Aryna Sabalenka [2024]
