Aryna Sabalenka is a true powerhouse of the women’s game and deserves all the praise she gets.
However, at times, it feels like her career is often underappreciated.
The world number one has been the dominant force on the WTA Tour for years now, as a multiple Grand Slam champion who is surely destined to only add to her sprawling trophy cabinet before her sparkling career comes to a close.
And, her latest milestone only further emphasises just how impressive her career has been, and therefore why she remains so criminally underrated.
Aryna Sabalenka shatters WTA rankings milestone
Earlier this week, Aryna Sabalenka entered the top ten list for most weeks spent as the world number one.
Amongst this list are, unsurprisingly, some of the greatest players the sport has ever seen. Stars like Steffi Graf, Martina Navratilova, Serena Williams and even Iga Swiatek are all present, with others like Justine Henin and Ash Barty surely fearing for their spots.
Who wins more Grand Slams in their career – Elena Rybakina or Aryna Sabalenka?
After all, the Belarusian has hit 100 weeks as the world’s top-ranked player. She is just 17 away from Henin, 21 away from Barty, and 25 away from her generational rival Swiatek.
Should Sabalenka retain her spot atop the WTA world rankings until the end of 2026, she will overtake the former of that trio and be within touching distance of the Polish superstar.
This is just the latest record which proves why the 28-year-old deserves more respect. She is quietly forging one of the greatest careers in women’s tennis history.
Why Aryna Sabalenka is so underrated
Whilst it might seem strange to suggest that a player as decorated as Sabalenka is underrated, it certainly feels that way.
That is likely due to the huge wealth of talent that the WTA Tour boasts, making competition for even the smallest of events fierce.
Mixing that in with recent inconsistencies from the four-time major champion, by her lofty standards, and it feels like people are forgetting just how good she really is.
This latest ranking achievement should emphasise that, but there is also plenty else to justify her greatness.
After all, whilst her four Grand Slam titles are impressive, it’s worth mentioning that she has also lost a further four major finals. Reaching eight finals at events of this magnitude has her tied with superstars like Carlos Alcaraz, Kim Clijsters and Suzanne Lenglen, legends of the sport.
That tally is certain to only keep growing too, as will her weeks spent as world number one.
Aryna Sabalenka or Iga Swiatek… who do you prefer? 🤔
She is routinely competitive at the latter stages of these elite events, and as such has pretty much propped up women’s tennis. The fact that she shares the best rivalries on the WTA Tour with almost all of her other top players is indicative of this.
Nobody is as consistent as Sabalenka, and at 28, she still has many years ahead of her to continue dominating. By the time her career is done, we will be talking about an all-time great. Perhaps we already should be.
