WTA Rankings Race To Riyadh: Rybakina No 1 as Sabalenka closes gap, Andreeva & Kostyuk jump
Elena Rybakina remains top of the Race to the WTA Finals in Riyadh following the Madrid Open, while Mirra Andreeva and Marta Kostyuk have made jumps.
In the final in Madrid, Kostyuk defeated Andreeva 6-3, 7-5 to claim her maiden WTA 1000 crown, which is the biggest title of her career to date.
This week, focus turns to the Italian Open — the second clay-court WTA 1000 tournament of the year. Main draw action at the Foro Italico in Rome will take place from 5-16 May.
What is the WTA Race to Riyadh?
The eight women who earn the most ranking points in the 2026 season will qualify for the season-ending WTA Finals, which will be staged in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from 7 to 14 November.
If a current-year Grand Slam champion finishes between ninth and 20th in the Race, they will take the eighth and final qualification spot.
The prestigious tournament, which was first held in 1972, is played on indoor hard-court at the King Saud University Indoor Arena.
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Rybakina is the reigning WTA Finals champion, having claimed a record-breaking $5,235,000 for winning the 2025 edition of the event.
The players who finish ninth and 10th will travel to Saudi Arabia as alternates and have the chance to take the place of any players who withdraw.
The latest Race to Riyadh rankings
Rybakina overtook Sabalenka in the Race after she won the WTA 500 in Stuttgart last month, and she has moved onto 4,113 points after her fourth round exit at the Madrid Open.
Sabalenka, who remains in second position, has closed the gap to Rybakina to 88 points after she reached the quarter-finals in Madrid.
Jessica Pegula is still third in the Race, and she now has 2,980 points after she fell in the third round in Spain.
Mirra Andreeva has made a two-place jump to fourth after her runner-up result in Madrid, and the Russian is now 257 points behind Pegula.
Elina Svitolina has dropped to fifth after losing her opening match in Madrid, while Muchova — who did not compete — has fallen to sixth.
Victoria Mboko remains seventh after her opening match defeat, while Coco Gauff still occupies the No 8 spot after her last 16 exit.
Live WTA Race to Riyadh (prior to start of Italian Open)
1) Elena Rybakina – 4,113
2) Aryna Sabalenka – 4,025
3) Jessica Pegula – 2,980
4) Mirra Andreeva – 2,723
5) Elina Svitolina – 2,470
6) Karolina Muchova – 2,280
7) Victoria Mboko – 1,947
8) Coco Gauff – 1,933
Cutoff
9) Marta Kostyuk – 1,725
10) Belinda Bencic – 1,317
11) Iga Swiatek – 1,203
12) Iva Jovic – 1,186
13) Amanda Anisimova – 1,140
14) Linda Noskova – 1,053
15) Sorana Cirstea – 1,045
Kostyuk has soared to ninth after the 1,000 points from her Madrid triumph lifted her total to 1,725.
Iga Swiatek is still in 11th place after she retired in her third round match in Madrid.
Amanda Anisimova has dropped from 10th to 13th after she missed the WTA 1000 tournament.
