Scenarios for Krejcikova and Sabalenka to reach No.1 at the Australian Open

The World No.1 ranking will be in play at the 2022 Australian Open. World No.2 Aryna Sabalenka and No.4 Barbora Krejcikova can both challenge No.1 Ashleigh Barty for the top spot. But it will take a run to the finals to have a chance of pulling off the feat.

Barty enters the Australian Open as the WTA World No.1, a position she has held since Sept. 9, 2019. Over the duration of the Australian Open, Barty will increase her total weeks at No.1 to 112 weeks. The 25-year-old will have held the top spot for 105 consecutive weeks, the fifth-best streak in tour rankings history. 

Consecutive weeks at WTA No.1:

186: Stefanie Graf
186: Serena Williams
156: Martina Navratilova
113: Chris Evert
105: Ashleigh Barty (including Australian Open)
94: Stefanie Graf
91: Monica Seles
90: Martina Navratilova
87: Stefanie Graf
80: Martina Hingis
76: Chris Evert

Total weeks at WTA No.1:

377: Stefanie Graf
332: Martina Navratilova
319: Serena Williams
260: Chris Evert
209: Martina Hingis
178: Monica Seles
117: Justine Henin
112: Ashleigh Barty (including Australian Open)
98: Lindsay Davenport
71: Caroline Wozniacki

Seeded No.2 in Melbourne, Sabalenka is bidding to follow in Victoria Azarenka's footsteps to become the second Belarusian to reach No.1. The 23-year-old will need to advance to her first major final in order to have a chance. Sabalenka comes into the Australian Open off back-to-back Slam semifinals, at Wimbledon and the US Open.

If Barty reaches the quarterfinals, then Sabalenka would need to win the title. If Barty reaches the final, Sabalenka cannot move to No.1.

Reigning French Open champion Krejcikova will also need to reach the final in order to have a chance of overtaking Barty. The 26-year-old has never made it past the second round at Melbourne Park, but she comes into this year's tournament off a stellar run to the final of the Sydney Tennis Classic. She has made the second week at her last three major appearances.

If Barty reaches the third round or Sabalenka reaches the final, then Krejcikova would move to No.1 only by winning the title.

With a run to the semifinals by Barty, Krejcikova cannot move to No.1.

Sabalenka and Krejcikova also have a chance to become the first player since Martina Hingis to sit atop both the singles and doubles rankings at one point in their career. Hingis reached No.1 in singles in 1997 and rose to doubles No.1 for the first time in 1998.