Iga Swiatek has a clear path to reclaim the world No. 1 ranking, an opportunity ironically created by a one-month drug suspension she served in late 2024. As the top seed at the 2025 China Open, the Polish star has no ranking points to defend, positioning her for a significant late-season surge.
Swiatek enters the tournament in Beijing following a title win at the Korea Open. She assumes the top seed position after current No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka withdrew due to a minor injury sustained during her successful U.S. Open title defense. A victory at the China Open would place Swiatek less than 1,000 points behind Sabalenka, making the year-end top spot a realistic goal with the Wuhan Open and WTA Finals remaining.
The foundation for Swiatek’s current advantage was laid last year. In November 2024, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced Swiatek had accepted a one-month suspension after testing positive for the prohibited substance trimetazidine (TMZ). The ITIA confirmed the violation was unintentional, resulting from a contaminated, non-prescription melatonin supplement. This suspension forced her to withdraw from the 2024 China and Wuhan Opens, the same high-stakes tournaments where she now has everything to gain.
The suspension was followed by a difficult period for Swiatek. She lost to rival Coco Gauff at both the 2024 WTA Finals and the 2025 United Cup. Early 2025 saw her endure a 13-month title drought and fail to defend her titles during the clay-court season, causing her ranking to fall to No. 8.
However, her season dramatically turned around at Wimbledon, where she claimed the title with a dominant 6-0, 6-0 victory over Amanda Anisimova in the final. That win propelled her back to No. 3 and was followed by a victory at the Cincinnati Open, which saw her overtake Gauff for the No. 2 spot.
Despite the high stakes, Swiatek maintains her focus is on her performance, not the rankings. “I already know that thinking about the rankings, it’s not a way to go, no matter if you’re No. 2 or no matter if you’re No. 1,” she stated in a pre-tournament press conference. “My main focus is more tennis-related, how I want to play, how I feel on court.”
With Sabalenka sidelined and Gauff defending her title, Swiatek has a unique opportunity in Beijing to move one step closer to the top of the sport.
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