Aryna Sabalenka crowns the tennis season of her life with WTA No. 1 ranking

This story has been updated to reflect confirmation of Aryna Sabalenka as year-end WTA world No. 1

RIYADH — This time last year, Aryna Sabalenka was at the heart of a player rebellion against the women’s tour — while being unseated as world No. 1 by Iga Swiatek.

The world’s best players were in Cancun for the year-ending WTA Tour Finals, which terrible weather conditions and a hastily constructed venue turned into a circus. Sabalenka said on social media that she felt “disrespected” by the standard of the event, which included practice courts that didn’t feel safe to play on.

Just before the event, 21 of the world’s best players, including Sabalenka, wrote a letter to then-WTA Tour chief executive Steve Simon outlining a number of grievances, demanding higher pay, a more flexible schedule and expanded childcare. Simon, who has since been replaced as chief executive by Portia Archer but remains as chairman, apologized for the debacle and said, “You have been heard.”

A year on, Sabalenka’s main lesson is the power of collective action. “We all came together. My word or Iga (Swiatek)’s word wouldn’t count on its own, it wouldn’t have any weight,” she told The Athletic in an interview in Riyadh on the eve of this year’s WTA Finals.

“Last year was…