Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Świątek have taken contrasting routes since the US Open as the WTA Tour season moves forward.
The long-awaited Grand Slam final showdown between the pair remains on hold after New York, where Sabalenka captured the title. The Belarusian overcame Amanda Anisimova in the championship match earlier this month, after the American had ended Świątek’s run in the quarterfinals.
Świątek has since returned to action at the Korea Open, where the top seed begins her campaign against Sorana Cîrstea. The world No. 2 launches her Asian swing in Seoul alongside fellow major winners Barbora Krejčíková and Emma Raducanu.
Meanwhile, Sabalenka, the current world No. 1, has opted to skip the upcoming China Open, which directly follows the event in Korea. Her absence opens the door for Świątek to close the gap in the rankings.
The six-time Grand Slam champion is under no points pressure over the next month, having been sidelined at this stage of last season. She currently trails Sabalenka by around 2,000 points in the live standings, with 1,500 points available across the Korea and China Opens.
Career comparison: Sabalenka vs. Świątek
Both players have already enjoyed successful seasons, each lifting a Slam—Świątek at Wimbledon and Sabalenka at the US Open.
Sabalenka leads the 2025 title race with four trophies compared to Świątek’s two, though the Pole remains ahead overall with 24 career titles to the Belarusian’s 21.
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Career-high rank: 1 (both)
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WTA titles: 21 (Sabalenka) / 24 (Świątek)
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Grand Slam titles: 4 / 6
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Win–loss record: 472–198 / 395–88
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Prize money: $42,300,521 / $42,595,015
As for their rivalry, Świątek maintains the upper hand, winning eight of their 13 encounters. With both in strong form, the race for the year-end No. 1 ranking looks set to mirror last season’s thrilling duel, when Sabalenka ultimately finished on top.
