Aryna Sabalenka has been one of the most consistent players on the WTA Tour for many years.
Sabalenka is the current world number one, a position she has held since October 2024.
The Belarusian has been ranked inside the top 50 for an even longer period, with Sabalenka making her breakthrough into this ranking in April 2018.
Sabalenka has been ranked in the top 50 longer than Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina and Coco Gauff, but there is one player who has a slight advantage over her.
Only Elise Mertens has spent longer in the top 50 than Aryna Sabalenka
Sabalenka has nearly completed her eighth consecutive year ranked inside the top 50 of the WTA rankings.
The only active player who has spent more consecutive weeks ranked inside the top 50 than Sabalenka is Elise Mertens.
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Where are you ranking her?
Mertens is the current world number 22 and has been ranked inside the top 50 of the world rankings since July 2017.
The closest Mertens has come to falling outside the top 50 during this period was in September 2022, when the Belgian fell to world number 44.
Not only do they have the connection of being the active WTA players with the most consecutive weeks in the top 50, Mertens and Sabalenka are also former doubles partners.
Mertens and Sabalenka were a very successful partnership as well, winning five titles together including the US Open and the Australian Open.
Following Mertens and Sabalenka as the players with the most consecutive weeks inside the top 50 are Rybakina (since September 2019), Swiatek (since October 2020), and then the joint American duo of Jessica Pegula and Gauff (since February 2021).
What is Elise Mertens’ career-high ranking?
Although Mertens is the player with the most consecutive weeks inside the top 50, she has never actually been ranked inside the top 10.
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The highest singles ranking of Mertens’ career is world number 12, which she achieved in November 2018.
This was the same year that Mertens made her best Grand Slam singles run, reaching the semifinals of the Australian Open.
| Elise Mertens’ Career Achievements | Singles | Doubles |
| Career-high ranking | No.12 | No.1 |
| Current ranking | No.22 | No.1 |
| Titles Won | 10 | 24 |
| Best Grand Slam Result | Semifinal (Australian Open 2018) | Won the title (Australian Open – 2021, 2024 & 2026, Wimbledon – 2021 & 2025, US Open – 2019) |
Mertens has also won 10 WTA singles titles, but her biggest successes have come in doubles.
The 30-year-old is the current doubles world number one, and has won six Grand Slam titles, including the two she won with Sabalenka.
Mertens won her sixth major title at the Australian Open earlier this year, playing alongside Shuai Zhang.
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