World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka is set to make her highly anticipated return at the China Open following her U.S. Open victory, where she aims to reclaim the top ranking in the final weeks of the season.
The 26-year-old Belarusian secured her third Grand Slam title this month, adding to her back-to-back Australian Open victories. She is poised as the clear favorite for the Beijing crown, especially with defending champion Iga Swiatek absent due to personal reasons.
Having briefly held the No. 1 spot last season before being surpassed by Poland’s Swiatek, Sabalenka is determined to deliver a strong performance during the Asian swing to maximize her chances of achieving her goal.
"Of course, that's one of my goals: to finish the season at world number one," Sabalenka told reporters. "I'm not trying to focus on that. I'm trying to focus on my game. There are three tournaments left, and I'm trying to bring my best tennis on court.
"After the season, I'll see if it was enough to finish the year at world No. 1 or if I have to improve something else. To be called the best player in the world means a lot."
Sabalenka has already qualified for the season-ending WTA Finals, along with Swiatek, and is eager to head to the Nov. 2-9 event with plenty of wins under her belt.
"It's important to do well here before the WTA Finals, to have these matches in your pocket before going to the Finals. I think between Wuhan and the Finals, there is a gap of three weeks," Sabalenka said. "If you're not reaching the last stages of the tournaments here, you have a really big gap in between, which isn't so good before the last tournament of the year."
The Beijing tournament runs from Sept. 25 to Oct. 6.
