WTA Race to Riyadh Update: Swiatek's dominance continues, Zheng and Shnaider make gains

Tuesday, 23 July 2024 at 21:30

The WTA Race to Riyadh has been updated in a week marked by preparations for the Olympic Games for the principal stars in women’s tennis. Iga Swiatek is the only player who has qualified, having done so several weeks ago, and she leads by more than 2,500 points over second-place Elena Rybakina.

Jasmine Paolini completes the Race podium after moving ahead of Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff, who closes the top-5. Most of the top players are not competing this week as they are targeting Paris 2024 next week, so there won't be significant movements in the standings this week.

The Big Winners of the Week

After Wimbledon, some players quickly traveled to compete in new tournaments during these short weeks on clay. The standouts of the week were two of the youngest in the upper echelon of the WTA rankings, Diana Shnaider and Zheng Qinwen, both of whom lifted their third titles as professionals and gained ground in the Race.

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The Russian competed on the clay courts of the WTA 250 Budapest Open and defeated Aliaksandra Sasnovich in the final, 6-4, 6-4. It is the third title of the season (and her career) for the 19-year-old player, who seems ready to compete with the top players and is on the verge of entering the top-20 of the WTA Race. Only one player younger than Shnaider is ahead in points this season: teenager Mirra Andreeva, currently just one spot ahead and less than 100 points away.

Meanwhile, Zheng secured a back-to-back title at the Palermo Open. The Chinese player has regained her form after some inconsistent weeks and will head to the Olympics full of confidence. The 21-year-old moved up one position, returning to the top-8 after being surpassed by Barbora Krejcikova and Jelena Ostapenko in previous weeks.

Zheng Qinwen played her first final since Australian Open

The Leaders of the Race

World No. 1 Iga Swiatek remains firmly atop the WTA Race with 7,465 points. It seems unlikely that anyone will overtake Swiatek, at least until the US Open, with two WTA 1000 tournaments and a Grand Slam ahead in the next month. She has been qualified for the WTA Finals for over a month, where she will defend her title.

Elena Rybakina is further back with 4,901 points and still far from the qualification threshold, though her consistency throughout the year gives her the best chance to secure a Finals spot early. The Kazakh player reached the Wimbledon semifinals, allowing her to slightly narrow the gap with Swiatek, who only made it to the third round.

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Jasmine Paolini rounds out the podium as the runner-up at the French Open and Wimbledon, as well as the champion of the WTA 1000 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. The Italian is having the best season of her career, surpassing Aryna Sabalenka in the Race after Wimbledon, and with 4,505 points, she is well-positioned to qualify for her first Finals.

Slightly behind is Sabalenka with 4,466 points. The Belarusian chose to skip the Olympic Games to start the hardcourt swing in North America. A single victory in Washington would return her to the third position in the Race, considering Paolini won't earn points in those weeks due to her presence at Paris 2024.

Sabalenka is the main absence at the Olympic Games

Considering that only eight players will qualify for the WTA Finals in Riyadh, the current top eight includes Coco Gauff, Danielle Collins, Barbora Krejcikova, and Zheng Qinwen. Close behind the top-8 are Jelena Ostapenko, Daria Kasatkina, and Emma Navarro.

WTA Race to Riyadh Update

Rank	Player	Points
1	Iga Swiatek	7465
2	Elena Rybakina	4901
3	Jasmine Paolini	4505
4	Aryna Sabalenka	4466
5	Coco Gauff	3598
6	Danielle Collins	3167
7	Barbora Krejcikova	2616
8	Qinwen Zheng	2520
9	Jelena Ostapenko	2450
10	Emma Navarro	2362
11	Daria Kasatkina	2303
12	Anna Kalinskaya	2146
13	Donna Vekic	1899
14	Marta Kostyuk	1897
15	Madison Keys	1856
16	Victoria Azarenka	1768
17	Maria Sakkari	1733
18	Diana Shnaider	1613
19	Elina Svitolina	1519
20	Jessica Pegula	1516
21	Dayana Yastremska	1502
22	Mirra Andreeva	1438
23	Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova	1394
24	Ekaterina Alexandrova	1371
25	Marketa Vondrousova	1363
26	Katie Boulter	1361
27	Yulia Putintseva	1360
28	Linda Noskova	1295
29	Ons Jabeur	1216
30	Liudmila Samsonova	1199
31	Beatriz Haddad Maia	1161
32	Leylah Fernandez	1156
33	Elise Mertens	1140
34	Anastasia Potapova	1116
35	Katerina Siniakova	1087
36	Karolina Pliskova	1066
37	Paula Badosa	940
38	Anhelina Kalinina	938
39	Xinyu Wang	930
40	Sorana Cirstea	914
41	Elisabetta Cocciaretto	910
42	Caroline Garcia	894
43	Katie Volynets	875
44	Sloane Stephens	866
45	Yue Yuan	863
46	Lulu Sun	862
47	Viktoriya Tomova	815
48	Emma Raducanu	799
49	Diane Parry	775
50	Moyuka Uchijima	775

Cristhián AvilaTennis Journalist

Cristhián Ávila is a tennis journalist based in Santiago, Chile, and has been part of the TennisUpToDate team since early 2023. He covers the ATP and WTA Tours as well as all four Grand Slams, producing breaking news, match reports, analysis, and regular liveblogs from major tournaments.

His reporting combines statistical analysis with clear explanation, helping readers understand tactical developments, player form, and broader storylines across the tour. Working fluently in both Spanish and English, Cristhián collaborates with an international editorial team and contributes to comprehensive global coverage. As part of his work, he has conducted interviews and media interactions with leading figures in the sport, including Caroline Wozniacki and John McEnroe.

In his journalism, Cristhián places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. His coverage is grounded in research, context, and direct engagement with professional tennis.

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