World No. 1 and reigning US Open champion Aryna Sabalenka has withdrawn from next week’s China Open WTA 1000 event due to a “minor injury,” the tournament reported on Wednesday.
Sabalenka captured the fourth Grand Slam crown of her career, and first of the season, two weeks ago in New York. She is a three-time quarterfinalist in Beijing, having made the last eight in 2018, 2023 and 2024. Sabalenka currently leads World No. 2 Iga Swiatek by 2,077 points in the battle for the year-end World No. 1 spot. Both players have officially qualified for the WTA Finals Riyadh in November.
The remainder of the Top 10 are still entered in Beijing, including Swiatek, who won the title in 2023, and defending champion Coco Gauff .
What Did the Fans Predict for Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Świątek After the Belarusian’s Beijing Withdrawal?
According to tournament organizers, Sabalenka’s withdrawal was triggered by a minor injury she suffered en route to her US Open triumph. The Belarusian yet again showcased her dominance at Flushing Meadows, outclassing home favorite Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 7-6(3) to retain her crown.
However, the injury setback and her subsequent withdrawal have raised questions about Sabalenka’s loosening grip on the world No. 1 spot. A quarterfinalist in Beijing last year, she now stands to forfeit the 215 points she earned. On top of that, Sabalenka isn’t even competing at the WTA 500 event in Seoul.
Meanwhile, the world No. 2 Świątek is contesting the WTA 500 event in Seoul and is expected to feature at the WTA 1000 tournament in Beijing. Winning both could net her 1,500 points, significantly cutting into Sabalenka’s sizable lead. She would then have another chance to close the gap further at the WTA 1000 event in Wuhan.
Sabalenka will enter Wuhan as the defending champion with 1,000 points to protect. Any dip in form post-recovery could give Świątek a golden opportunity to stage a deep run at the event she skipped last year, where she has no points to defend. In fact, the Pole would firmly position herself in the race to finish as the year-end world No. 1.
Amid these shifting scenarios, several fans have voiced concern about what lies ahead for the Belarusian on tour. One wrote:
“She would’ve been defending quarter final points which is not THAT much but what does this mean for Wuhan? Oh Iga is coming for #1 😭.”
“So she played too few WTA 500 and WTA 1000 tournaments. She will get a penalty and lose points for as many as 4 tournaments. If Swiatek wins in Korea and Beijing, she will be less than 600 points behind Sabalenka in the race for YE#1,” another chimed in.
“Iga playing korea, beijing and wuhan with no points to defend and Aryna no korea or beijing and defending wuhan. The YE race getting spicy 💃🏽,” one commented.
One fan suggested Świątek is likely aware of this opportunity, recalling how she struggled with disappointment over not being able to defend her No. 1 ranking last season. The Pole has to miss the entire Asian swing due to his doping suspension.
“Iga strikes me as the type to definitely be atleast aware of this considering part of her struggles earlier this year was being disappointed at not getting the chance to defend her #1 last year this swing,” they wrote.
“Another title in Wuhan could close to shut the door on YE #1 (although not entirely).so that’s probably enough motivation in itself. Even if Swiatek wins Seoul and Beijing back to back she’d, still be like 600 behind coming into Wuhan,” one fan noted.
“She’s so fumbling that year-end number 1, another 2023 coming,” a fan chimed in.
Sabalenka currently holds a commanding lead in the rankings, with 11,225 live pointscompared to Świątek’s 7,934.
However, the upcoming WTA 1000 events could prove decisive, depending on how Świątek performs. As the season enters its closing stretch, all eyes will be on whether Sabalenka can maintain her grip on the top spot in women’s tennis.