Although Iga Świątek was stopped by Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals of the WTA Finals in Bercy, the Pole will finish the 2022 season as world number 1. 

The Varsovian secured her place on the throne back in April when Ashleigh Barty surprisingly retired from professional tennis and decided to cancel her accumulated WTA points. This allowed Iga (number 2 at the time) to take the leadership of the classification.

Światek’s 2022 season has been one of many triumphs. She completed the longest winning streak of the WTA tour of the 21st century with 37 consecutive wins in the first half of the season.

https://twitter.com/WTA/status/1589079929290772480?s=20&t=fR0xrlkwX82HUWSFO1omNA

In Grand Slam, she shined like never before. She reached the semis in the Australian Open for the first time before claiming her second crown at the French Open. She also raised her first trophy at Flushing Meadows (US Open). 

As of mid-November, the Polish champion counts more than 5,500 more points than Ons Jabeur. In other words, Iga is assured of finishing 2022 at world number 1 and will most likely remain at the top of the ranking until the summer. 

https://twitter.com/iga_swiatek/status/1589665943965159424?s=20&t=qf1tmrNajfHtdkZuvaXKMg

At merely 21, the Polish star has already written a beautiful page of the history of her sport. If she manages to avoid injuries, she seems fit to continue dominating the tennis world for the years ahead. May it be true.

Image: Twitter (@iga_swiatek)

Author: Sébastien Meuwissen