Iga Swiatek finishes No 1 despite WTA Finals disappointment

Paris: Poland’s Iga Swiatek may have failed to add the WTA Finals title to her French and US Open crowns but finishes the year a dominant No 1 in the women’s tennis rankings.

The 21-year-old extended her points advantage over world No 2 Ons Jabeur of Tunisia despite losing to big-serving Belarus Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals in Texas last week.

It is the first time Swiatek has finished on top of the year end rankings. Swiatek’s remarkable season included eight singles titles and a run of 37 straight match victories. Sabalenka ended her 15-match winning streak against top 10 players.

Swiatek’s path to the top was eased by the shock retirement in March of Australia’s Ashleigh Barty, who finished No 1 from 2019-2021.

Sabalenka lost in the final to France’s Caroline Garcia — who became the second French woman to win the title following Amelie Mauresmo in 2005.

Both finalists in the WTA season-ender in Texas on Monday rise two places, Garcia to fourth and Sabalenka to fifth.

WTA rankings:

1. Iga Swiatek (POL) 11085 pts

2. Ons Jabeur (TUN) 5055

3. Jessica Pegula (USA) 4691

4. Caroline Garcia (FRA) 4375 (+2)

5. Aryna Sabalenka 3925 (+2)

6. Maria Sakkari (GRE) 3871 (-1)

7. Coco Gauff (USA) 3646 (-3)

8. Daria Kasatkina 3435

9. Veronika Kudermetova 2795

10. Simona Halep (ROM) 2661

11. Madison Keys (USA) 2417

12. Belinda Bencic (SUI) 2365 (+1)

13. Paula Badosa (ESP) 2363 (-1)

14. Danielle Collins (USA) 2292

15. Beatriz Haddad Maia (BRA) 2215

16. Petra Kvitova (CZE) 2097

17. Anett Kontaveit (EST) 2093

18. Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) 1986

19. Ekaterina Alexandrova 1910

20. Liudmila Samsonova 1910.