BREAKING NEWS: Aryna Sabalenka punished with a huge points deduction ahead of WTA Finals as the reason is revealed
Sabalenka has had a stellar season on the court. She clinched the US Open last month after reaching the finals of both the Australian Open and the French Open.
On the other hand, Swiatek bagged the Wimbledon title in July. She also reached the semi-finals of the first two Majors of the year, losing to Sabalenka in Paris.
The current rules stipulate that players must compete in at least six WTA 500 events per season. Their only exception is if they are sidelined due to injury or have another valid reason for not participating.
If players fail to meet these requirements, they lose points earned from bigger tournaments and are awarded zero points for that tournament instead. Neither of the top two players have met this threshold, with Sabalenka losing 10 points a week ago, while Swiatek saw 65 points deducted from her tally.
In the latest ranking update, Sabalenka has lost an additional 120 points from Dubai, while her closest rival in the rankings has also lost the 108 points she won in Stuttgart. The pair have also seen the 400 points they earned at the 2024 WTA Finals removed.
Other players have also faced sanctions in the past fortnight. Gauff lost 10 points, Amanda Anisimova 37 points, and Madison Keys 114 points.
This week’s rankings see Sabalenka holding her position at the top with a whopping 9,870 points, while Swiatek trails in second place with 8,195 points. Gauff is hot on their heels in third place, boasting 6,563 points.
The world’s top eight players are jetting off to Riyadh this week in preparation for the WTA Finals, which kick off on Saturday. Ahead of the event, tennis legend and 18-time Grand Slam singles champion Martina Navratilova has backed the world number one to clinch the title.
“Incredibly consistent and excellent. One major win, two finals and a semi-final. [Sabalenka] was only three or four matches from winning the Grand Slam. Her consistency is not to be underestimated,” Navratilova gushed to the WTA Tour website.
“She’s the heavy favourite on any surface, but particularly on a medium-pace hard court where you get a solid bounce and good footing. Her shots pay off on any surface, and she has enough time to get into position.
“It’s fast enough for her to do damage and slow enough for her to prepare for her shots. She’s deadly on this stuff.”
