Iga Swiatek vs Jessica Pegula vs Coco Gauff: Battle for No 2 at Madrid Open

Oli Dickson Jefford 23 Apr 2025 2:44 PM

L-R: Jessica Pegula, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff.

Jessica Pegula, Iga Swiatek, and Coco Gauff.

Iga Swiatek heads into the Madrid Open as the world No 2 – but she faces a battle to hold on to that ranking by the tournament’s conclusion.

World No 3 Jessica Pegula and world No 4 Coco Gauff are hot on her heels, and both women could be ranked second in the world once action is done and dusted inside the Caja Magica.

Here, we look at what all three women need to seal the world No 2 ranking in Madrid.

As it stands

Heading into Madrid, Swiatek’s lead over her American rivals appears to be comfortable.

The Pole holds 7,383 ranking points, with Pegula on 6,208 and Gauff on 6,073 – a cushion of over 1,000 points against both women.

However, the WTA Live Rankings in Madrid tell a different picture.

As the reigning champion, Swiatek has 1,000 points to defend in the Spanish capital, and currently has only 10 points to her name at this year’s event, with all seeds receiving a bye to the second round.

That means, as it stands, the 23-year-old is dropping 990 ranking points and has a live total of 6,393 points, decreasing the gap significantly to both Pegula and Gauff.

After reaching the fourth round in 2024, Gauff is currently dropping just 110 points to 5,963, while Pegula is up 10 points to 6,218, having missed the event due to injury in 2024.

That means that there are just 430 points between world No 2 Swiatek and world No 4 Gauff, while there is only 175 points between Swiatek and world No 3 Pegula.

Rankings ramifications

If Swiatek successfully defends her title, she is guaranteed to stay as the world No 2 regardless of how Pegula and Gauff fare.

Victory for the Pole will see her stay on 7,383 points when the rankings update on May 5, ahead of the tally both Pegula and Gauff can reach even if they triumph.

Should Swiatek be beaten in the final, the only way she could lose the world No 2 ranking would be if Pegula is the woman who beats her in that match.

Swiatek will hold 7,033 points if she loses the final, while Pegula would hold 7,208 points if she lifts the title; on opposite sides of the draw, a championship match between the two is possible.

The Pole will drop to 6,773 points if she loses in the semi-final, in which case Pegula would have to reach the final and Gauff would have to lift the title.

Gauff will hold 6,953 points should she triumph, while Pegula would hold 6,858 with a runner-up finish.

With Swiatek and Gauff on the same side of the draw, it is possible that Gauff could beat Swiatek in the semi-final and then Pegula in the final.

That would leave Gauff as the world No 2, Pegula as the No 3, and Swiatek as the No 4.

Pegula must reach the quarter-final to put herself in with a chance of becoming world No 2, while Gauff must reach the final at the very least.