Aryna Sabalenka has vowed not to put too much pressure on herself as she chases after the No.1 spot.
The Belarusian has an opportunity to close the gap on Iga Swiatek at the upcoming Wuhan Open, which is a WTA 1000 event. Swiatek is not playing in the tournament after recently splitting with her coach Tomasz Wiktorowski. Opening up the door for Sabalenka who will be the top seed and is seeking to win the tournament for the third time in her career.
26-year-old Sabalenka is one of the most in-form players currently on the Tour and had won 15 matches in a row before losing to Karolina Mochova in the quarter-finals of the China Open. Despite the surge in form, the three-time Grand Slam champion says she can’t afford to put too much pressure on herself based on past experiences.
“Of course this is something I really want to do (become number one), it is one of my goals,” the AFP news agency quoted Sabalenka as saying on Sunday.
“But I learned in the past that if you focus on the rankings and defending points and all that kind of pressure, things can easily go wrong.
“So I prefer to focus on myself and when I’m on court I just try to bring my best tennis and fight for every point.
“If I’ll be able to bring my best tennis I know that I can become world number one.”
Sabalenka will be hoping to be on top form in Wuhan, which is being held for the first time since 2019. The tournament has been off the calendar in recent years due to the COVID-19 pandemic with the city being the first in the world to go into lockdown in January 2020.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been here and I remember the first time winning Wuhan was a very special moment,” said Sabalenka.
“Winning it two times in a row, that was very special. I was really sad that I couldn’t come back the following year.
“And now coming back, everything feels like home and I have really beautiful memories from the past. I really hope I can replicate my result from 2019.”
Even if she triumphs again in Wuhan, Sabalenka can’t overtake Swiatek. The most likely scenario is the position will be at stake at the WTA Finals later this year.
