Iga Swiatek Climbs the Ranks With Unique Feat as She Sets Her Sights on Surpassing Serena Williams, Chris Evert, and Others

Iga Swiatek marks a significant milestone in her tennis career as she enters her 121st week as the World No. 1. The Polish star has been on an impressive journey since she first claimed the top spot in April 2022, and now she finds herself tied with Ashleigh Barty at the 7th position in terms of the most no. of weeks spent as the World No. 1 in WTA history.

Swiatek’s recent performances have been a mixed bag. She had a stellar run at the 2024 French Open, where she claimed her fourth title by defeating Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 6-1 in the final. This victory not only solidified her dominance on clay but also positioned her as one of the top contenders to break Chris Evert’s record of seven French Open titles. However, her journey took a downturn at Wimbledon, where she lost to Yulia Putintseva in the third round, and then at the US Open, where she lost to Jessica Pegula in the quarterfinals.

This, however, didn’t affect her rankings as Swiatek is still firmly placed at the no. 1 position. However, talking about the all-time records, she has a long way to go before catching up with Monica Seles, who is sixth with 178 weeks as the World No. 1. Steffi Graf tops the list with 377 weeks, followed by the other legendary players Martina Navratilova, Serena Williams, Chris Evert, and Martina Hingis.

Swiatek’s reign has been nothing short of remarkable. The 23-year-old has won 5 Grand Slam titles and has maintained a significant lead over her rivals in the rankings. Despite a few setbacks, including a quarterfinal exit at the US Open, the Pole has continued to dominate the women’s tour. She currently has a 2,169-point lead over World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka.

It will be interesting to see if Iga Swiatek continues her ascent up the all-time rankings list. Getting past Seles will most likely be her next goal, but a grueling and demanding schedule might make it difficult for Swiatek to continue her reign at the top. She has already started skipping tournaments, citing fatigue.