"Without a doubt, it’s Aryna Sabalenka" - Tracy Austin breaks down why World No. 1 has had a stronger season than Iga Swiatek

Tracy Austin was perfectly clear in her mind while picking the standout performer between World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and World No. 2 Iga Swiatek in the 2025 tennis season. The top two players are separated by 1,457 points in the rankings.

In 2025, Sabalenka reached eight finals, winning four titles. She could only win one major title (the US Open) despite going to the finals of three Grand Slams. On the other end, Swiatek could only reach four finals, winning three titles, including the Wimbledon championship, where she defeated Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0. Moreover, Sabalenka (10) had more top-10 wins compared to Swiatek (8).

On Tennis Channel, Austin appeared to share her views on who was the better player in 2025. She picked Sabalenka over the Polish star.

“Without a doubt, it’s Sabalenka,” Austin said. “Sabalenka has won four titles, so she’s won more than anyone else. It’s kind of become, at the end of the year, kind of towards the middle and towards the end, that Swiatek's been dominant. "Sabalenka has been the most successful player this year, with the most wins, and I think that’s why it was so important for her to cap it off with that US Open title. But it was good to see Świątek start to play better.”

Aryna Sabalenka returns to tennis for Wuhan Open, could face Iga Swiatek in finals

Aryna Sabalenka took some time off to enjoy her second straight US Open win. She was found roaming in Greece with her boyfriend, Georgios Frangulis and even went on a double date with Novak Djokovic and his wife Jelena while there.

Her break has come to an end as she is participating in the WTA 1000 event in Wuhan. As the No. 1 seed, she received a first-round bye, following which she is scheduled to face Rebecca Sramkova in the Round of 32 match.

Her side of the draw includes players like Anna Kalinskaya, Sofia Kenin, Liudmila Samsonova, Naomi Osaka, Linda Noskova, Mirra Andreeva, and more. If everything goes as per the seedings, she could face Swiatek in the finals.

On the other end, the Polish star will start her tournament with her Round of 32 matchup scheduled against Marie Bouzkova. Both players have already qualified for the WTA Finals in Riyadh.

Edited by Krutik Jain