Aryna Sabalenka is inching closer to the all-time WTA points record, which Serena Williams currently holds. Sabalenka is the women’s World No. 1, a spot she unseated Iga Swiatek from in the second half of the 2024 season. She has not relinquished the No. 1 ranking since.
The Belarusian recently became the third woman in WTA history to exceed the 11000-point mark in the WTA rankings. Sabalenka can become the holder of the most points since women’s rankings began, but what does she need to do to claim the record?
Is it possible?
Sabalenka can realistically break the record in this year’s grass swing. She has 11,446 points in the live rankings and will be in action later this week at the WTA 500 in Berlin. Last year, she retired from this tournament in the quarterfinal stage, but she’s highly unlikely to lose before the semifinals. Sabalenka will play two qualifiers in back-to-back rounds to advance to the last four.
Reaching the Berlin semifinal is the bare minimum Sabalenka needs to surpass Williams’ total of 13,615 points at the end of this swing. If Sabalenka does not progress beyond the semifinal in Berlin, she will accumulate 195 points. Her pre-Wimbledon total points will be 11,640 points.
Sabalenka’s advantage is that she does not defend points at Wimbledon. Last year, she withdrew from the grass-court slam because of a shoulder injury. Sabalenka can gain the full 2000 points at the All England Club, where she is the oddsmakers’ favorite to win the women’s singles tournament.
Should Sabalenka win Wimbledon, then she will shatter Serena’s record from a decade ago and become the woman with the most ranking points in WTA history. She will have 13,640 points. So her progress in Berlin could determine whether she can break Serena’s record at Wimbledon. But if she falls short, she should at least eclipse Swiatek for the second spot.
Top WTA players with the most ranking points
1. Serena Williams – 13,615 (3 weeks)
2. Iga Swiatek – 11,695 (6 weeks)
3. Aryna Sabalenka – 11,446 (active)
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke – Imagn Images
