WTA Race Update after French Open: Coco Gauff leaps to second as Aryna Sabalenka holds lead

Coco Gauff was the big winner at Roland Garros, climbing to second place in the WTA Race to Riyadh, just behind finalist Aryna Sabalenka. The American rapidly ascended from 5th place after a remarkable clay-court swing.

Nonetheless, the top spots generally remain stable, following another display of consistency from the top players. Iga Swiatek, Madison Keys, and Mirra Andreeva were among those who dropped positions, while Elena Rybakina entered the qualification zone for the first time in months.

The WTA's world No. 1 and No. 2 also reflect their excellent season in the Race. Both players reached the tournament final, where Gauff claimed her second Grand Slam title, and they've now pulled away from the rest of the chasing pack. The Belarusian remains comfortably in first place (6,420 points), while Gauff moved into the second spot (4,598) for the first time this year, still with a difference of almost 2,000 points. Even winning the Wimbledon title will make it difficult for her to take the top spot in the coming weeks.

Third place belongs to the 2025 Australian Open champion Madison Keys (3,780). Despite not having the prominence she had at the beginning of the year, the 30-year-old had a couple of good results on clay, reaching the quarterfinals in Madrid and Roland Garros. Although she dominated the Race for a couple of months, she has been displaced and now faces close pursuers threatening to overtake her in the coming weeks.

Fourth place is held by Iga Swiatek (3,658) – who, despite a disappointment in losing a 26-match winning streak at the French Open, still added 800 points and maintains a good base for potential qualification for the WTA Finals. Fifth place is closely held by Mirra Andreeva – champion at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships and Indian Wells, who surprisingly fell in the Roland Garros quarterfinals. The top-5 remain the same as a couple of weeks ago – and all five leaders reached at least the quarterfinals in the year's second Grand Slam.

There's a significant gap of nearly 700 points between Andreeva and her immediate pursuer, Jessica Pegula (2,789). The American reached the fourth round and was another player surprised by rising star Lois Boisson (as was Andreeva). Nevertheless, she maintains 6th place, in a good position heading into the end of the season.

Further back is Jasmine Paolini, who salvaged her season after winning the WTA 1000 Rome Open title. Her fourth-round loss at Roland Garros still allowed her to accumulate several points, keeping her within the top 8. Closing out the qualification zone is the only 'surprise': Elena Rybakina, who went on a streak of 9 consecutive wins – with a title at the WTA 500 Strasbourg Open and a fourth-round appearance at Roland Garros.