Aryna Sabalenka has revealed she has learnt to \u201cembrace the pressure\u201d of being world No 1 after hitting a milestone 70 weeks atop the WTA Rankings.<\/p>\n
Reigning world No 1 Sabalenka<\/a> has proven to be one of the leading WTA Tour players of her generation, with the 27-year-old winning four Grand Slam singles titles to date.<\/p>\n The Belarusian was ranked as the world No 1 for the first time in September 2023 and, after losing her ranking to Iga Swiatek in November that year, regained top spot in October 2024.<\/p>\n Sabalenka has reigned as the world No 1 ever since then, and in 2025 has become just the seventh woman to spend a full calendar (Jan \u2013 Dec) year at the very top of the WTA Rankings<\/a>, since the official system first launched in 1975.<\/p>\n Her current run of 62 weeks at the top is the 15th-longest streak atop the WTA Rankings, while her overall total of 70 weeks is the 12th-most of the 29 women to hold the world No 1 ranking.<\/p>\n She has been a consistent figure at the very top of the women\u2019s game in recent years and, in a new interview with Gulf News<\/a>, opened up about handling expectations as the best player in the world.<\/p>\n Sabalenka said: \u201cOf course there\u2019s pressure, but it\u2019s also a privilege.<\/p>\n \u201cBeing No 1 means you\u2019re doing something right. I\u2019ve learned to embrace that pressure instead of fearing it. I trust my preparation, my team and my game, and that helps me stay focused when expectations are high.\u201d<\/p>\n Tennis News<\/p>\n Rafael Nadal reveals the key differences between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner<\/a><\/p>\n Ex-WTA star Anna Chakvetadze reflects on her standout memories \u2013 and a match fans still talk about<\/a><\/p>\n