Despite a shaky performance in the Middle East, Aryna Sabalenka has boldly extended her lead over Iga Swiatek in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) rankings. Meanwhile, Mirra Andreeva and Clara Tauson celebrated significant victories in Dubai.
Sabalenka experienced an early dismissal from the first WTA 1000 event of the season, the Qatar Open, and subsequently suffered a third-round defeat at the Dubai Tennis Championships. Yet, she still managed to accumulate 120 points from these tournaments.
Swiatek, on the other hand, failed to retain her semi-final points from the previous year after getting eliminated in the quarter-final, affording Sabalenka a chance to widen her lead. Sabalenka, a three-time Grand Slam champion, has now boosted her points advantage to 1,091.
The upcoming Indian Wells-Miami Sunshine Double tournament could further augment Sabalenka’s lead. Swiatek will be under pressure to defend her hefty 1,120 points, while Sabalenka risks losing just 185 points.
This week marks Sabalenka’s 27th week as the world No 1 in her second tenure, allowing her to surpass Dinara Safina in the all-time list for most weeks at No 1. Now in 16th place, Sabalenka has set her sights on overtaking the 15th-placed Angelique Kerber, who has spent 34 weeks at the top.
Despite early losses at the Middle East WTA 1000 tournaments, Coco Gauff remains a distant third behind Swiatek. Jessica Pegula and Madison Keys moved up a spot each, capitalizing on Jasmine Paolini’s failure to retain her Dubai title.
Keys managed to break into the top five, an impressive feat considering she hasn’t participated in any events since winning the Australian Open. Following Keys, the rankings feature Paolini, Elena Rybakina, Zheng Qinwen, and the latest entrant into the top-10, Mirra Andreeva.
Andreeva, a 17-year-old rising star, defeated Tauson in the final and consequently jumped five places in the WTA rankings. She became the youngest WTA 1000 title winner since 2009 and the youngest player to enter the top 10 since Nicole Vaidisova achieved the feat in 2006.
Tauson, the runner-up, climbed an impressive 15 places and is now ranked 23rd. However, Anna Kalinskaya, last year’s finalist, slipped 15 places to 34th after an early exit in 2025.
Sofia Kenin, granted a wildcard, advanced to the quarter-final in Dubai and leaped nine places to No 47. Moyuka Uchijima, who qualified to reach the second round, now stands at No 54.
British player Emma Raducanu ended her losing streak with a first-round victory in Dubai, earning her a six-place elevation in the rankings. The 2021 US Open champion had previously lost four consecutive matches.
Belinda Bencic, a former world No 4, climbed eight places to position herself within the top 60, while Alycia Parks jumped 13 spots to No 61.
The WTA rankings exhibit a dynamic and exciting league of talented women, making the upcoming tournaments a thrilling prospect for tennis fans worldwide.
