WTA Race after Australian Open: Madison Keys surges to the top ahead of Swiatek and Sabalenka

After the first Grand Slam of the year, the WTA Race begins to take shape with the first major distribution of points. Australian Open champion Madison Keys and runner-up Aryna Sabalenka are at the forefront, in a top 10 that includes Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, and Jessica Pegula.

There are also some surprises among players who started the year in more irregular form. Jasmine Paolini is out of the top 30, while Zheng Qinwen is barely managing to stay in the top 100.

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The first four weeks concluded with the Australian swing, which included six tournaments, culminating in the Aussie Open. Champion Madison Keys leads the Race and starts the year in the best way possible, with two titles and a 12-match winning streak, amassing 2,554 points. This is no small feat, considering that the current World No. 16, Beatriz Haddad Maia, has the same score over the previous 52 weeks as Keys achieved in the first month of the year.

Behind Keys are the most consistent players on the Tour in recent years. Finalist Aryna Sabalenka is in second place with 1,800 points after 11 consecutive wins and only one loss in the final, having won the Brisbane International. Semifinalist Iga Swiatek takes third place (1,105 points), while Coco Gauff (930 points) is fourth, despite being eliminated in the quarterfinals, as she came off five consecutive wins in the United Cup.

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Other players in the Race’s top 10 include Paula Badosa (5th), Americans Emma Navarro (6th) and Jessica Pegula (9th), and a legion of young Russian players: Diana Shnaider (7th), Polina Kudermetova (8th), and Mirra Andreeva (10th).

On the other hand, some players are starting below expectations. Elena Rybakina, eliminated in the fourth round, is barely at No. 14. Jasmine Paolini climbs to 36th, while the most disappointing start likely belongs to Zheng Qinwen, who sits at 99th, tied with four other players, leaving her virtually outside the top 100.

Meanwhile, there are some surprises among the higher ranks. Belinda Bencic (17th), Ons Jabeur (20th), and Naomi Osaka (23rd) can take positive conclusions from the start of the year, putting them in a good position to recover their best form. Check out the WTA Race’s top 100 below.

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