2024 WTA Rankings: Iga Swiatek holds sway as big guns flop, Jasmine Paolini and Anna Kalinskaya cash in
Iga Swiatek increased her lead at the top of the WTA Rankings this week despite her surprise semi-final exit, but Jasmine Paolini and Anna Kalinskaya were the real big winners.
World No 1 Swiatek was stunned by Kalinskaya in last four of the Dubai Tennis Championships, but she moved further ahead of the second-placed Aryna Sabalenka after the Australian Open champion lost even earlier.
The four-time Grand Slam winner now holds a 1,380-point advantage over Sabalenka, who was stunned by Donna Vekic in her first match since winning the season-opening Grand Slam at Melbourne Park.
Sabalenka, meanwhile, is 1,750 clear of Coco Gauff at No 3 with the American also missing out on an opportunity to close the gap to the top two after she lost in the quarter-final in the UAE.
The fourth-placed Elena Rybakina was another who failed to close the gap as she withdrew from her last-four clash due to fatigue.
The top four will next return to action at the Indian Wells Open where Rybakina is the defending champion.
Keep up to date with the latest WTA Rankings
Wimbledon champion Markéta Vondrousova moved up one spot to No 7 after her run to the last eight at the WTA 1000 event while Maria Sakkari is back in the top 10.
Paolini has surged 12 places to a career-high No 14 after she lifted her second career title and first WTA 100 event with a three-set victory over Kalinskaya.
The 28-year-old is only the third Italian to win a WTA 1000 title after Flavia Pennetta won the 2014 Indian Wells and Camila Giorgi’s success at Montreal in 2021.
Kalinskaya, meanwhile, missed out on the top 20 after reaching the final, but she jumped 16 places to a new high of No 24
Magdalena Fręch is also at a career-high No 42 after reaching the third round in Dubai.
Barbora Krejcikova was the big loser as she dropped nine places to No 21 after she failed to defend her title in the United Arab Emirates. The Czech didn’t pick up any points as she is currently out injured.
Olympic champion Belinda Bencic dropped 11 places as she is skipping this season after announcing she is pregnant while Giorgio has slumped out of the top 100 after dropping 33 places to No 105.
WTA Rankings Top 20
1. Iga Swiatek Poland 10,105 points
2. Aryna Sabalenka 8,725
3. Coco Gauff United States 6,975
4. Elena Rybakina Kazakhstan 6,848
5. Jessica Pegula United States 5,050
6. Ons Jabeur Tunisia 4,173
7. Marketa Vondrousova Czech Republic 4,070
8. Qinwen Zheng China 4,040
9. Maria Sakkari Greece 3,565
10. Jelena Ostapenko Latvia 3,548
11. Karolina Muchova Czech Republic 3,275
12. Daria Kasatkina – 3,063
13. Beatriz Haddad Maia Brazil 2,870
14. Jasmine Paolini Italy 2,700
15. Liudmila Samsonova – 2,605
16. Ekaterina Alexandrova 2,475
17. Elina Svitolina Ukraine 2,332
18. Petra Kvitova Czech Republic 2,305
19. Veronika Kudermetova – 2,305
20. Madison Keys United States 2,287
