Aryna Sabalenka has continued her push to be the year-end world number one with her latest Wuhan Open win.
Sabalenka is eyeing the number one spot in the world rankings, which is currently occupied by Iga Swiatek.
But the former is now closing in on the latter, with Swiatek having withdrawn from both the China Open and Wuhan Open.
Sabalenka says the Wuhan Open is key to her WTA Finals success, with the Belarusian now into the last 16 of the competition.
After receiving a bye in the first round of the Chinese tournament, Sabalenka overcame Katerina Siniakova in the second round.
Aryna Sabalenka names ‘ideal’ scenario in number one battle with Iga Swiatek
That 6-4, 6-4 victory has now set up a clash with Yulia Putintseva, who leads Sabalenka 1-0 in their head-to-head record.
But the world number two has come on leaps and bounds since that 2019 US Open loss, with Sabalenka providing an update on her goals after her latest win.
READ MORE: Aryna Sabalenka explains the change she has made to her game which is helping her win matches
“I love having this competition and I love seeing [Swiatek] in the draw,” she said, as quoted by the WTA website.
“I love to, like, get to the finals and face her in the finals. It’s always great battles. I always enjoy fights against her.
“Hopefully we can play against each other there in the [WTA Finals Riyadh], put it into a fight for world number one. That’s ideal.
“I’m trying to focus on myself and make sure that I play my best tennis and make sure I still have this opportunity to become world number one at the end of the year.”
Can two-time Wuhan Open champion Aryna Sabalenka catch Iga Swiatek?
The momentum is undoubtedly with Sabalenka, with the US Open champion clinching her 50th tour-level win of 2024 in Wuhan.
Swiatek is the only player ahead of the Belarusian in that regard, but she has been out of action in recent tournaments.
Moreover, the Pole is undergoing a major team change, having just ended her three-year partnership with coach Tomasz Wiktorowski.
READ MORE: Iga Swiatek posts a social media tribute to Tomasz Wiktorowski after coaching split
At the same time, Sabalenka is showing no signs of slowing down, with the three-time Grand Slam winner now on 13 successive Wuhan Open wins, with zero losses at the event.
She now has a fantastic chance to lift the trophy, having secured the title in both 2018 and 2019 before its five-year break.
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