But for how long?

Tennis world rankings: Sabalenka overtakes Swiatek

Aryna Sabalenka is enthroned at the top of the world rankings.(Bild: GEPA)

Aryna Sabalenka (9,706 points) has overtaken Iga Swiatek (9,665) at the top of the tennis world rankings. 

The Belarusian appears in the ranking published on Monday ahead of the Polish player, who had spent the entire year in the top position, sometimes with a large lead. Sabalenka had already been in first place for seven weeks in the fall of 2023.

Swiatek last played at the US Open, where she lost in the quarter-finals and did not play in the following Asian tournaments. Australian Open winner Sabalenka, on the other hand, triumphed at the US Open and also at the WTA 1000 Wuhan tournament and finally overtook her rival, who had a 4,224-point lead after her Wimbledon triumph. The year's finale at the WTA Finals (November 2 - 9 in Riyadh) therefore offers an exciting starting position.

In the men's tournament, the top seed at the Vienna Erste Bank Open, German Alexander Zverev, is still third behind Jannik Sinner (ITA) and Carlos Alcaraz (ESP), but there has been a shift among the next seeds. The number two of the ATP500 tournament, Australian Alex de Minaur, dropped back to tenth position directly behind the third-seeded Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov. With Tommy Paul (USA/12), Frances Tiafoe (USA/15), Lorenzo Musetti (ITA/17) and Jack Daper (GBR/18), seven of the Vienna field are in the top 20. Dominic Thiem is 318th, Joel Schwärzler 347th.