Which WTA players are defending the least at start of 2026: Anisimova and Rybakina target top three as Mboko and Eala set to continue rise up the rankings

Many tennis players are under pressure coming into the 2026 campaign to defend a whole heap of ranking points. Failure will see them tumble down the rankings, leaving their qualification for big events in doubt. While this is the case for some players, there are others who are playing on a clean slate in the WTA as they look to make inroads up the rankings.

Ranking points are earned after every tournament competed in. The deeper you go, the more ranking points you add to your tally and the higher you go up. However, these are not here to stay for long. The points you earn from every tournament will come off a year after being added on. This could leave you vulnerable if you a do not play well in competitions last year you exceled in.

An example is Madison Keys. The American won the Adelaide International and the Australian Open at the start of 2025. A year on, these points are set to come off with the world number seven in desperate need to recuperate them. Not all players are in this boat. Here are some of the players who are not defending much at the start of the year.

Amanda Anisimova was one of the surprise packages last year. She won two WTA 1000 titles, reached two Grand Slam finals and made it to the semi-finals in the WTA Finals on debut. All of this has seen her climb into world number four, a staggering rise from last year when she was not even a seed for Grand Slam events.

She is defending just 2% of her points at the start of the year, thanks to a second round exit in the Australian Open last year. This could open the door for a deep run in the event to lead to movement in the rankings. One of the inform players on the WTA Circuit, she sits just 500 points off Coco Gauff in the rankings. Her fellow American is defending a quarter-final in Melbourne before the clay swing will see her tally plummet after the Roland Garros title and two WTA 1000 finals. If Anisimova can start with a bang, she could cement herself as a top three player.

It is not just Anisimova eyeing up three top places. Elena Rybakina has experienced the highs of being placed as the world number three back in 2023. This followed her making it to the final of the Australian Open. Another major final could see her leapfrog her way up from fifth in the world to much higher. After her imperious campaign in the WTA Finals, she is one of the favourites going into the first Grand Slam of the year, and is defending only a fourth round from last time out.

Jasmine Paolini exited a round earlier. The Italian is also on good form after a positive Asian swing kicked off by another Billie Jean King Cup Finals title for her country. Currently in eighth, she is defending 4% of her points as she looks to improve on a poor start from last season.

There is poised to be a lot of movement around the edge of the top 10. Fortunately for Ekaterina Alexandrova, this could from her moving up with only 2% of her points set to be swiped away. The Russian sits 10th in the world after a very positive end to 2025. She will look to win a match in Melbourne for the first time since 2023.

At just 21-years-old, Linda Noskova's rise has been splendid. Now world number 13, she could have gone into this campaign as a WTA 1000 champion but was defeated by Anisimova in the China Open final. Similar to Alexandrova, she is barely defending anything from the Australian Open with 2% of her points on the line. A breakthrough into the top 10 is looking awfully likely for the young Czech talent.

After winning the Canadian Open, Victoria Mboko became a seed at Grand Slam events. It was an incredible rise from her starting ranking in 2025 at 333rd. Just 3% of her points will be taken off but that should pose no threat to the Canadian. The 19-year-old is set to make her debut in the Australian Open, with this a golden opportunity to scoop up more points.

This goes for Iva Jovic too. The 18-year-old already has a WTA 500 title to her name and is hotly tipped by many to become one of the best players in the future. Already up to world number 35 in such a short space of time, the top 32 beckons for the first time for the talented American. This is also the case for Alexandra Eala. She became the first Filippino to break into the top 50 and win a WTA title. The duo both have 5% of their points set to come off, but this will be overturned comfortably with some wins in the Australian Open. The first Grand Slam of the year will take place from January 18 - February 1.