Iga Swiatek’s capture of a 25th WTA Tour title on Sunday at the Korea Open has opened up a significant opportunity for the six-time Grand Slam champion.
The world number two had to battle hard against Ekaterina Alexandrova in Seoul, but ultimately triumphed in three sets, 1-6, 7-6, 7-5: achieving something not even Carlos Alcaraz has accomplished.
The Pole demonstrated yet again why you can never count her out of any contest, battling back from the brink against a spirited Alexandrova, who played magnificently during the scintillating battle.
Consequently, Swiatek has won 500 WTA points, as she did not compete at the tournament in 2024, and therefore, did not have any points to defend this year.
As a result, Swiatek is now in a strong position to achieve something for the third time in her career.
Swiatek’s opportunity to become the year-end world number one
Aryna Sabalenka has a fight on her hands for the status of year-end world number one.
Sabalenka has not competed on the WTA Tour since winning her second US Open title, while Swiatek has already picked up 500 points at the Korea Open.
Swiatek’s schedule is particularly intriguing. In 2024, she only played one WTA Tour event after the 2024 Wimbledon Championships, meaning she has just 400 WTA points to defend for the rest of 2025.
These 400 points were collected during the WTA Finals, where Swiatek won two group stage matches.
Sabalenka, meanwhile, also has 400 points to defend at the WTA Finals. However, unlike Swiatek, the Belarusian has other tournaments where she will need to defend points.
Sabalenka will also defend 1000 points at the Wuhan Open following last year’s triumph, meaning Swiatek has further opportunity to capitalise.
| Player | Rank | WTA Points |
| Aryna Sabalenka | 1 | 11,225 |
| Iga Swiatek | 2 | 8,433 |
| Coco Gauff | 3 | 7,874 |
| Amanda Anisimova | 4 | 5,109 |
| Mirra Andreeva | 5 | 4,793 |
| Madison Keys | 6 | 4,579 |
| Jessica Pegula | 7 | 4,383 |
| Jasmine Paolini | 8 | 4,006 |
| Qinwen Zheng | 9 | 4,003 |
| Elena Rybakina | 10 | 3,833 |
The Belarusian will also lose 215 points following the China Open. Sabalenka has withdrawn from the 2025 event due to a minor injury, and will consequently lose the points she gained by reaching the quarter-final stage at the 2024 tournament.
Swiatek finished as year-end number one in 2022 and 2023
Iga Swiatek has twice finished a year as the best player on the WTA Tour.
In 2022, Swiatek went on a remarkable 37-match win streak: the longest streak of the 21st century.
By the end of the year, Swiatek held a record of 67-9 on the WTA Tour, having captured eight titles – including two Grand Slams.
In 2023, her dominance continued, winning her fourth Grand Slam title at the French Open and adding the WTA Finals to her collection.
Since 2023, Swiatek has added two more Grand Slam titles, winning the 2024 French Open and the 2025 Wimbledon Championships.
Whether she can end 2025 as world number one remains to be seen. However, the stars appear to be aligning for Swiatek, and who would bet against her achieving this feat once again?
