WTA Rankings: Iga Swiatek surpasses Ashleigh Barty for this record
What's the story
Iga Swiatek has made a significant mark in the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) rankings history by surpassing Ashleigh Barty.
This achievement marks her 122nd week at the top spot, placing her seventh on the list for most weeks as the women's world number one.
The official WTA Rankings were initiated on November 3, 1975, and have since been a benchmark of success in women's professional tennis.
Rankings
Women with most weeks atop WTA Rankings
As mentioned, Swiatek has surpassed Barty in terms of weeks atop the WTA Rankings.
Swiatek has now spent 122 such weeks compared to Barty's 121.
The former is now behind Steffi Graf (377), Martina Navratilova (332), Serena Williams (319), Chris Evert (260), Martina Hingis (209), and Monica Seles (178).
Reign threatened
Swiatek's reign could be challenged
Swiatek's reign as the world number one could potentially be challenged this fall.
This comes after her decision to withdraw from the upcoming WTA 1000 event in Beijing due to personal reasons.
Despite being the defending champion at this tournament, her absence opens up an opportunity for others to close in on her lead.
Potential challenger
Aryna Sabalenka poses potential threat
World number two, Aryna Sabalenka, is seen as a potential challenger to Swiatek's top spot.
Although she cannot surpass Swiatek in Beijing, she has the opportunity to significantly narrow the gap.
The upcoming WTA Finals could prove crucial in this regard, as Swiatek will be defending her title while Sabalenka only has semi-final points at stake.