Aryna Sabalenka is set to mark her birthday week by achieving two significant WTA rankings milestones at the Italian Open. She will spend her 81st and 82nd consecutive weeks at No. 1, surpassing Martina Hingis for the 10th-longest streak since 1975. During the second week in Rome, she is also poised to reach her 90th career week at the top.
Aryna Sabalenka enters the Italian Open on the cusp of historic achievements in the WTA rankings. Published reports note that she will hold the No. 1 position for her 81st and 82nd straight weeks during the tournament, moving past Martina Hingis and securing the 10th-longest consecutive streak since rankings began in 1975. In the second week in Rome, she is scheduled to hit her 90th career week at No. 1, joining an elite group as the 11th player to reach that mark. Her current run started on October 21, 2024, following an initial eight-week stint in 2023. Last month, with 77 consecutive weeks, she overtook Chris Evert for 11th place all-time in total weeks, though Evert's separate streak of 113 weeks from 1976 to 1978 remains longer. The all-time leaders are Steffi Graf and Serena Williams with 186 weeks each, followed by Martina Navratilova at 156 and Ashleigh Barty at 114. Sabalenka's consistency stands out, with quarterfinal appearances or better in her last 17 tournaments dating back to February last year. At the recent Madrid Open, she reached the quarterfinals—deeper than any other Top 5 player—before losing to Hailey Baptiste. Her No. 1 status appears secure heading into the French Open, though results in Rome could influence the landscape. After a first-round bye, Sabalenka faces either Barbora Krejčíková or Elsa Jacquemot next, with potential clashes against Sorana Cîrstea, Linda Nosková, Clara Tauson, Amanda Anisimova, Belinda Bencic, Coco Gauff, Jasmine Paolini, Mirra Andreeva, Elena Rybakina, or Iga Świątek later. She has reached the Rome final once, losing to Świątek in straight sets.
