Although Aryna Sabalenka only held the top spot for a few weeks during her initial stay last season, she has a chance to do so again in 2024.

This past weekend, Sabalenka successfully defended the Australian Open, defeating Qinwen Zheng of China in the final. In her march to the title, she did not give up a set, and such dominance is only befitting of the finest in their field.

For the 25-year-old Minsk native, who has a real chance of unseating Iga Swiatek at the top of the WTA rankings, February is a crucial month. Here are five convincing arguments for why Sabalenka is ready to pass the Pole.

Sabalenka Remembers Her Angry Tennis Days And A Lot Of Broken Racquets

5. Biggest Ball-striker On WTA Tour

Sabalenka is one of the few WTA players with the strength and power to match her nuclear ball-striking ability. The concerning aspect is that the Belarusian, whose propensity for taking risks has earned her the reputation of being capricious and wasteful, has adopted a more sensible strategy for playing wiser tennis.

Pat Cash, a former Wimbledon champion, recently dubbed the Berlsuain powerhouse the “new Serena Williams.” Sabalenka is a clean hitter on the run in addition to possessing destructive power off both wings. With these attributes, Sabalenka should be difficult to defeat this season.

4. Transformational Serve

Sabalenka’s service yips gained a lot of attention in 2022. But now that she’s modifying her service motion with the help of a biomechanics consultant, she’s enjoying the results of her labor and investment.

In the Australian Open women’s competition in 2024, Sabalenka was one of the top three players with the fastest serve speed and the second-most aces across the two-day period. Sabalenka’s success will be built on her serve, which has the ability to unseat Swiatek from her position.

3. Desire To Become The Best

It takes effort and hard work for players to rise to the top of the world rankings. Sabalenka has said that her father wanted her to become the best player in the world, something she very briefly experienced during the US Open in 2023.

Sabalenka is keen to regain her crown, which she lost against Swiatek in the WTA Finals. The Belarusian gave warning that she was not going to back down after her thrilling championship defense at the Australian Open, fearing that she would become a one-time Grand Slam phenomenon. Her priorities have been confirmed.

2. Fear Factor

Not since the legendary Serena Williams’s last peak has a WTA player brought that kind of intimidation to the court. However, Aryna Sabalenka seems to already have this in her repertoire. Even though tennis matches are endurance races and tests of strength, the easiest method to win matches is to make your opponent fearful.

1. Grand Slam Pedigree

For more than a year, Sabalenka has been the most reliable player for the WTA at the Grand Slam level. Sabalenka has made it to the semifinals or higher in the following six Grand Slam competitions since the start of the 2022 US Open, taking home two championships.

The 25-year-old has won more matches than any other woman in the history of the competition, and if she continues her winning streak this year, there’s a decent chance she’ll reclaim the top spot in the rankings.