WTA Race to Riyadh: Sabalenka and Swiatek struggle as Mirra Andreeva breaks into the top five

After a busy week at the WTA 1000 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, Mirra Andreeva has joined the top five in the WTA Race to Riyadh. Unlike the official rankings, which account for the past 52 weeks, the Race only includes points earned in 2025. By the end of the season, the top eight players will qualify for the WTA Finals.

Nonetheless, Australian Open champion Madison Keys remains at the top thanks to her titles in Adelaide and Melbourne. Players like Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, and Elena Rybakina are also among those currently in qualification spots for the WTA Finals.

The podium in the Race has remained unchanged after the second WTA 1000 of the year, as 30-year-old American Madison Keys continues to lead with 2,554 points. She still holds a significant advantage over her closest challengers, Aryna Sabalenka (1,930) and Iga Swiatek (1,710), after both suffered early exits in Dubai.

The world No. 1 only reached the round of 16 in Dubai, falling to Clara Tauson—the tournament’s eventual finalist—marking a disappointing Middle East swing for Sabalenka (one win and two losses). While Swiatek performed slightly better, her quarter-final exit to Andreeva was surely a setback, as she missed an opportunity to close the gap on Sabalenka in the battle for the top ranking. It was a week that didn’t bring major changes for No. 1 and No. 2, despite both having their chances.

Rounding out the top five are two rising names making a statement in 2025. The Dubai champion was Mirra Andreeva, who, at just 17 years old, became the youngest player to win a WTA 1000 title since the format’s introduction in 2009. She secured her second career title, broke into the top 10 of the rankings, and now sits 4th in the WTA Race. Andreeva has already stated that her goal is to finish the year in the top five, and so far, she’s on the right track.

Further down, Denmark’s Clara Tauson has been perhaps the most surprising name among the top contenders. Few would have predicted just months ago that Tauson would emerge as one of the Tour’s strongest players in such a short time. She holds a 15-4 record, with wins over Madison Keys, Naomi Osaka, Linda Noskova (twice), Karolina Muchova, and Aryna Sabalenka. Her ASB Classic title and runner-up finish in Dubai make her a well-deserved top-five player in the Race.

Others who earned valuable points included Elena Rybakina and Karolina Muchova—both eliminated in the Dubai semi-finals. The Czech remains in excellent form, and despite falling to Tauson, she gained 350 points to move up to No. 13 in the Race.

The 2022 Wimbledon champion from Kazakhstan earned the same amount of points and holds onto 6th place, maintaining a narrow lead over Amanda Anisimova (7th, 1,135 points) and Paula Badosa (8th, 1,028).