How Coco Gauff reaching Miami Open final affects WTA Rankings as Iga Swiatek dealt blow

Ewan West 27 Mar 2026 9:55 AM

Coco Gauff with Iga Swiatek inset

Coco Gauff dismantled Karolina Muchova to reach the 2026 Miami Open final, and the American’s victory has ensured she will make a significant ranking jump.

The world No 4 dominated 14th-ranked Muchova 6-1, 6-1 in the semi-finals of the WTA 1000 tournament on Thursday.

Gauff was broken in the opening game, but she won the next 10 games and did not lose serve again in the match, saving the next seven break points she faced.

The two-time Grand Slam champion now holds a 6-0 record against Muchova, and she has won 12 of the 13 sets she has played against the 29-year-old Czech.

The 21-year-old, who was born in Florida and lives in Delray Beach, is through to her maiden final at the prestigious event in her home state. She is the youngest American to reach the Miami Open final since tennis legend Serena Williams in 2003.

Gauff will face world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the championship match after the Belarusian overcame Elena Rybakina in the second semi-final.

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How has Gauff’s Miami Open run impacted the WTA Rankings?

Gauff started the Miami Open as the world No 4 on 6,748 points — 665 points adrift of world No 3 Iga Swiatek.

Swiatek suffered a shock defeat to Magda Linette in her opening match in Miami, which saw her points total drop by 150 to 7,263 points in the Live WTA Rankings.

This opened the door for Gauff to replace her Polish rival as the world No 3, and she has taken full advantage of her opportunity.

By reaching the final, Gauff has increased her points total by 530 points to 7,278, which has lifted her above Swiatek by 15 points in the Live Rankings.

Gauff can finish on 7,628 points if she beats Sabalenka in the final, but she is guaranteed to be ranked third when the WTA Rankings officially update next week.

What did Gauff say after her semi-final win?

Gauff admitted earlier in the tournament that she sometimes struggles with “impostor syndrome” and doubts whether she “belongs” at the top of the WTA Tour.

Following her stellar semi-final win, though, Gauff said: “Today, I didn’t feel like an impostor. I feel like I’m playing some good tennis today so I’m going to take my chin [up] with my win.

“It means a lot to me… it wasn’t expected, yeah, this tournament obviously means a lot. To be in the final is pretty crazy.”