Swiatek is set to lose 1,000 ranking points as Sabalenka is lurking from behind and having her eyes on the top spot.

Iga Swiatek won her sixth WTA 1000 title on her China Open debut in Beijing last year, only dropping one set in the competition and beating Liudmila Samsonova in the final

World number one and defending champion Iga Swiatek withdrew from the prestigious Beijing 1000 WTA tournament on Friday citing "personal matters".

American Jessica Pegula knocked Swiatek out of the US Open quarterfinals 6-2, 6-4 earlier this month. That defeat came weeks after world No. 3 Aryna Sabalenka swept Swiatek 6-3, 6-3 in the Cincinnati semifinals.

World No. 1 Iga Swiatek withdrew from the China Open and won't defend her title. "Due to personal matters, I'm forced to withdraw from the China Open in Beijing," she said.

French Open champion Swiatek has won four of the season’s eight WTA 1000 events so far. Read more at straitstimes.com.

World No.1 Iga Swiatek has pulled out of the upcoming China Open citing ‘personal matters’ as the reason. It’s been a mixed season for Swiatek, who has experienced several highs, including her French Open victory earlier this year, as well as taking a bronze medal at the Olympics, also held at Roland-Garros, later that same summer.

Swiatek also withdrew from the ongoing WTA event in Seoul which would have been her first appearance since a quarter-final exit to Jessica Pegula at the US Open.