Aryna Sabalenka is missing out on the current WTA Beijing event due to injury, but that does not stop her from breaking new records. She’s now officially beginning her 50th consecutive week at the summit of the WTA rankings.
The Belarusian star joins an exclusive list of only ten women in the Open Era to achieve a streak of 50 or more consecutive weeks at the top spot, placing her alongside legends such as Steffi Graf, Serena Williams and Martina Navratilova. Sabalenka first ascended to World No. 1 in 2023, but her current run began on October 21, 2024, contributing to her career total of 58 weeks at number one.
Sabalenka’s remarkable consistency over the last year is the main cause for this record-breaking tenure. The 27-year-old has compiled a phenomenal win-loss record, making the quarter-finals or better in 15 of the 17 tournaments she has entered, a streak that not many can match across all surfaces.
Her 2025 season is probably her most consistent in recent memory, highlighted by her victory at the US Open earlier this month, a win that made her the first woman to successfully defend the Flushing Meadows title since Serena Williams in 2014. It marked her fourth career Grand Slam title and first major of the year, following runner-up finishes at the Australian Open and Roland Garros, and a semi-final run at Wimbledon. In addition to her major success, she captured WTA 1000 titles in Miami and Madrid, as well as the Brisbane International.
With her recent results, she has also surpassed over $40 million in career prize money, something only four women in WTA history has done before.
Whats next for Sabalenka?
Despite her big lead, (currently holding a near 3,000-point buffer over her closest rival, Iga Swiatek) the battle for the year-end World No. 1 ranking is not yet settled. Sabalenka recently withdrew from the China Open in Beijing, citing a minor injury as a precautionary measure to ensure she is “100% healthy for the rest of the year.”
With the WTA Finals in Riyadh and the Wuhan Open still to come, her focus is now firmly on finishing the season as the year-end top player, something that seems likely.
