Jessica Pegula poised to surpass Iga Swiatek for World No. 2 ranking as clay swing unfolds

Jessica Pegula threatens Iga Swiatek’s World No. 2 ranking after winning WTA 500 Charleston Open title The American has won four titles in the past 52 weeks, in addition to four other finals. The large point defense held by the Polish player makes it practically impossible for her to add any points.

The 5-time Grand Slam champion had an almost perfect clay season last year, with WTA 1000 titles in Madrid Open and Italian Open, in addition to her 4th Roland Garros title. Even if she wins those same three titles this year, she can barely maintain her points in the ranking.

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As of Monday, April 7, with no tournaments in progress, Swiatek has 7,470 points and Pegula has 6,101 – a considerable difference of 1,369 points. However, in the upcoming weeks, Swiatek will have virtually no opportunities to add points.

The Polish player has maintained her position in the ranking thanks in large part to her exceptional clay swing in 2024. She defeated Aryna Sabalenka in the finals of Madrid Open and Italian Open, and completed a near-perfect few months, beating Jasmine Paolini in the Roland Garros final – her 4th title at Philippe Chatrier.

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The Queen of Clay accumulated 4,195 points (out of a maximum 4,500 given her schedule) with an incredible 21-1 clay court record (42-5 in sets). Her only defeat came in the semifinals of Stuttgart Open against Elena Rybakina. After that, she went on a 19-match winning streak, securing two WTA 1000 titles and the French Open.

On Pegula’s side, having just won her first clay-court title, she will not have any points to defend over the next two months, as she only competed in Charleston last year due to injury. With the same schedule as Swiatek, she will have the opportunity to accumulate important points in a WTA 500, two WTA 1000s, and a Grand Slam at Roland Garros, with 2,000 points at stake.

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At the beginning of the year, Swiatek had 7,970 points, while Pegula had 4,705 points. This meant a difference of more than 3,200 points. Today, that gap has narrowed by almost 2,000 points – and with Swiatek having few chances to add points in the coming months, it is in the hands of the American to reach her best ranking as World No. 2 and displace Swiatek from the top 2 for the first time since April 2022.

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