WTA Rankings: Iga Swiatek closes gap to Aryna Sabalenka, Emma Raducanu hits her goal
A stunning Korea Open triumph has seen Iga Swiatek gain ground on world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka as the Pole looks to return to the top of the WTA Rankings this Autumn.
World No 2 Swiatek sealed her third title of 2025 — all within the last three months — in Seoul on Sunday, battling back to down Ekaterina Alexandrova in a three-set thriller and claiming the 25th WTA Tour title of her career.
It was Swiatek’s debut appearance at the Korea Open, having been forced out of the WTA 500 event a year ago due to a provisional suspension, and she has gained a full complement of 500 ranking points as a result.
That sees the 24-year-old move from 7,933 to 8,433 points in the ranking, increasing her cushion over world No 3 Coco Gauff in the WTA Rankings.
However, it also sees her draw closer to world No 1 Sabalenka, who was not in action this week — and will also not be competing at the upcoming China Open in Beijing.
Sabalenka still holds a significant lead in the WTA Rankings for now, with 11,225 points to her name, though she has 1,615 points to defend for the rest of the season, compared to just 400 for Swiatek.
A 500-point gain in Seoul has moved Swiatek narrowly closer, though she can make significant ground in Beijing this week, where she will look to regain the title she previously won in 2023.
There has been no movement inside the top 10 of the WTA Rankings this week, though there have been some shifts further down.
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Failing to defend her Korea Open finalist points from 2024 amid a disappointing year to date, Daria Kasatkina has dropped from 16th to 20th in the rankings, pushing Belinda Bencic, Emma Navarro, and Paula Badosa up.
Defending Korea Open champion Beatriz Haddad Maia was beaten in the second round of the tournament this past week, and as a result, falls 15 places to world No 40.
That has worked to the advantage of Emma Raducanu, who has moved up to one place to world No 32, her highest ranking in over four years.
On paper, that will be enough for the British star to be seeded at the Australian Open next January — her big rankings goal for the remainder of the season — and she will hope to consolidate her position over the coming weeks.
Above Raducanu, Leylah Fernandez has moved up three places to world No 25, while Sofia Kenin has risen four places to world No 26.
Barbora Krejcikova, the woman who beat Raducanu in Seoul this week, is up five places to world No 34 after her run to the last eight at the WTA 500 event, continuing her recent resurgence after dropping down significantly post-Wimbledon.
Elsewhere, Korea Open semi-finalist Maya Joint has sealed an impressive new career-high ranking, surging 10 spots to world No 36 thanks to her impressive run, while fellow semi-finalist Katerina Siniakova moves up 15 places to world No 62.
French star Lois Boisson is also up eight places to a new career high of world No 41, while rising star Ella Seidel seals her top 100 debut, moving up 10 spots to world No 95.
WTA Top 20 (September 22, 2025)
1) Aryna Sabalenka, 11,225
2) Iga Swiatek, 8,433
3) Coco Gauff, 7,873
4) Amanda Anisimova, 5,109
5) Mirra Andreeva, 4,793
6) Madison Keys, 4,579
7) Jessica Pegula, 4,383
8) Jasmine Paolini, 4,006
9) Zheng Qinwen, 4,003
10) Elena Rybakina, 3,833
11) Ekaterina Alexandrova, 3,253
12) Clara Tauson, 2,775
13) Elina Svitolina, 2,606
14) Naomi Osaka, 2,489
15) Karolina Muchova, 2,488
16) Belinda Bencic, 2,334 (+1)
17) Emma Navarro, 2,310 (+1)
18) Paula Badosa, 2,195 (+2)
19) Diana Shnaider, 2,111
20) Daria Kasatkina, 2,106 (-4)
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