BEIJING – Newly crowned world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka said on Friday that she is “super motivated” to finish the year in top spot as she prepares to compete in the China Open in Beijing.

The Belarusian lost the US Open final to homegrown talent Coco Gauff earlier in September but has found succour in rising to the summit of the rankings for the first time.

But the 25-year-old is not content to stop there.

“It’s also about finishing the year as world No. 1 and staying there as long as (I) can,” Sabalenka said when asked about her ambitions for the rest of the season.

“It’s good that I was able to achieve this goal, but there’s another goal and so I’m super motivated right now.

“Also, the expectation here in Beijing is to bring my best tennis and do everything I can on court.”

Her aspiration of maintaining her world No. 1 status was in line with what she had said after her US Open defeat. Despite her heartbreak, Sabalenka found comfort in her new hard-earned ranking.

“Becoming a world No. 1, it’s a huge improvement and achievement,” she said then. “I’m really proud of myself that all those years I have been working so hard helped me to become world No. 1.”

All that aside, she will be focusing on her match against former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin at the China Open, which is being held for the first time since 2019 after Beijing abandoned its stringent zero-Covid policy.

The WTA Tour has also returned to China after ending its boycott of the country.

The women’s tour had halted its engagements in the Asian nation after Chinese player Peng Shuai accused a top government official of sexual assault in 2021.

Gauff, meanwhile, said on Friday there were “still a lot of questions” about the status of Peng, the former doubles champion who vanished from public view for weeks after her revelation on social media.

She later reappeared and denied making the claim, but the episode prompted the WTA to pull all its tournaments out of China pending an independent investigation.

The global governing body reversed its stance earlier in 2023.

Asked by AFP about Peng’s case, Gauff said it was a “concerning situation when it happened and there’s still a lot of questions raised about that”.

“Regarding my safety here... the hospitality that I have received so far has been really great,” the US Open champion said at a press briefing.

“I’ve felt not the slightest bit of insecurity regarding (my own safety)... but obviously, I wish (Peng) the best and I hope that she’s doing well,” the 19-year-old added.

The WTA had said in April it would reinstate its China tournaments even though Peng’s situation “has shown no sign of changing”.

“We have concluded we will never fully secure those goals, and it will be our players and tournaments who ultimately will be paying an extraordinary price for their sacrifices,” the organisation said at the time.

“We needed to look at a different approach. With this, our members believe it’s time to resume the mission in China, where we believe we can continue to make a positive difference, as we have for the last 20 years, while at the same time make sure that Peng is not forgotten. By returning, hopefully more progress can be made.”

The WTA also said it has been assured by the Chinese Tennis Association, the sport’s national governing body, that “there won’t be any issues with our athletes or our staff while they’re competing within the region”. AFP, REUTERS