Swiatek and Sabalenka have been an undisputed Big 2 on the WTA tour this season.

Swiatek, as she has in the past, dominated on clay, won five titles in the first six months of 2024, looked like the clear No. 1 player in the world, and then…didn’t win anything after Roland Garros. She lost in the third round at Wimbledon, the semis at the Olympics, and the quarters at the US Open. She’s the face of the WTA, but she has still reached just one major final (the 2022 US Open) outside of Paris.

This time, though, Swiatek finally had enough of her yearly rise and fall. She split with longtime coach Tomasz Witkorowski and skipped the Asian swing, including its two mandatory 1000s in Beijing and Wuhan.

Sabalenka, meanwhile, began her mid-season ascent as Swiatek fell off. She was injured for Wimbledon and the Olympics, but the break ended up doing her good. She acclimated herself to U.S. hard courts early, then blew through Cincinnati, the US Open and Wuhan last week.

After all of that, the two women have been left in a near tie with one event to play. Swiatek leads the rankings, which measure the last 12 months, 9785 to 9716. Sabalenka has the edge in the 2024 race, 9091 to 8285. Together, they’ve left the rest of the WTA in the dust. No. 3 Coco Gauff is many miles behind, with 5973 points.

The year-end No. 1 ranking will be decided at the WTA Finals in Riyadh, starting November 2. As the defending champion, Swiatek will have to win the title, and hope Sabalenka doesn’t make the final, to stay No. 1. Sabalenka can clinch the top spot just by reaching the final.

After all of that, the two women have been left in a near tie with one event to play. Swiatek leads the rankings, which measure the last 12 months, 9785 to 9716. Sabalenka has the edge in the 2024 race, 9091 to 8285. Together, they’ve left the rest of the WTA in the dust. No. 3 Coco Gauff is many miles behind, with 5973 points.

The year-end No. 1 ranking will be decided at the WTA Finals in Riyadh, starting November 2. As the defending champion, Swiatek will have to win the title, and hope Sabalenka doesn’t make the final, to stay No. 1. Sabalenka can clinch the top spot just by reaching the final.