Will Iga Swiatek be able to break the record for most WTA 1000 titles in a year in 2024?

World No. 1 Iga Swiatek beat World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka 6-2, 6-3 in the final of the 2024 Italian Open on Saturday, 18 May. With the victory in Rome, Swiatek has now won four WTA 1000 titles this year itself.

The record for most WTA 1000 titles in a year is held jointly by Martina Hingis and Serena Williams. Both of them won five such titles, in 2000 and 2013 respectively. Swiatek needs just one to equal them and two to better them.

Swiatek won her titles at the Qatar Open, the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, the Madrid Open and now at the Italian Open this year. Clay is her most favored surface and, fittingly, she has won both the WTA 1000 titles played on the surface. All the four remaining WTA 1000 tournaments - the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati, the Canadian Open, the China Open and the Wuhan Open are going to be played on hard courts.

While the Pole is a formidable player on hard courts too, the competition is going to be stiffer for her. There will be Sabalenka, who has lost two WTA 1000 finals to Swiatek this year. There will also be Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina. She has the ability and form to win two of those tournaments, but it is not going to be very easy on hard courts because of the more intense competition.

Iga Swiatek could end up winning most WTA 1000 titles in a year

Iga Swiatek has triumphed only once in any of these four tournaments, when she won the 2023 China Open title. She is yet to win the title either in Cincinnati, Montreal or Wuhan. In comaparison, Aryna Sabalenka has won two Wuhan Open titles while Gauff won the title in Cincinnati last year.

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Moreover, the Canadian Open will start almost immediately after the 2024 Olympic Games conclude in Paris this year. Hence, it remains to be seen whether the Polish tennis star takes part in that tournament at all. Should she decide to skip that tournament, that will leave Swiatek with three WTA 1000 tournaments to break Hingis and Serena’s record.

Swiatek’s decision as regards participation at the Canadian Open will be key in determining whether she will be able to break the record for most WTA 1000 titles in a year. Playing in four tournaments is definitely better than playing in three if one aims to win at least two.

Most importantly, Iga Swiatek will also have to make sure that she remains fit throughout the year and hence, will have to avoid over-exertion. She should be able to equal the record held by Serena Williams and Martina Hingis by winning one more WTA 1000 title, but will have to be at the top of her game to continue her brilliant form and overtake it this year.