WTA Race Update: Iga Swiatek's Wimbledon crown narrows gap on Aryna Sabalenka, American quartet solidifies Finals spots

Following the conclusion of Wimbledon, the WTA Race to Riyadh has seen several movements, though Aryna Sabalenka still maintains a clear lead. However, champion Iga Swiatek has narrowed the distance and returned to second place in the Race, displacing French Open champion Coco Gauff.

It's worth remembering that the WTA Race exclusively measures points earned in 2025 and will determine the 8 players who qualify for the WTA Finals at the end of the season. It will also dictate year-end rankings, with the Pole closing in on Sabalenka and hoping to reclaim the World No. 1 spot before the season ends.

Iga Swiatek (5,983 points) was the Wimbledon champion, lifting her 6th Grand Slam title. Amidst criticism and doubts about her level, the Pole has remained in the upper echelons of the WTA Race all year. Even a "deficient" season for Swiatek – prior to Wimbledon – is still better than practically all other WTA players.

She remains significantly behind Aryna Sabalenka (7,395 points), who, after three major tournaments, notably stays in first place. The Belarusian's excellent season – with deep runs in all Grand Slams (she has more wins than any other player) and three titles this year (two of them WTA 1000s) – keeps her with a substantial lead, almost 1,500 points ahead of her closest pursuer. Sabalenka is currently the only player officially qualified for Riyadh.

French Open champion Coco Gauff (4,609 points) and Australian Open champion Madison Keys (4,105 points) remain in third and fourth place, respectively. Slam champions will always qualify for the WTA Finals as long as they finish the season within the top 20. With the high number of points they've accumulated this season and a wide margin for error, the presence of the top 4 in the WTA Finals is practically assured.

Just behind the leaders is Mirra Andreeva (4,024 points), who can take positive conclusions from Wimbledon, where she reached the quarterfinals for the first time. Despite not having strong grass-court campaigns previously, she managed to go deep at the All England Club, which allows her to stay in the upper tier, distanced from the rest of the players, especially thanks to her two WTA 100 titles this season.

Behind her are Amanda Anisimova (3,453 points) and Jessica Pegula (3,300 points). More than 500 points separate them from 8th place, and while nothing is assured for the Americans, they seem to be in a good position for the final part of the year, with the US Open Grand Slam still to come – where their home advantage will give them a greater boost – and four WTA 1000 events still ahead.

Currently, Jasmine Paolini (2,736 points) holds the last qualification spot for the Finals. She only reached the second round of Wimbledon, which could complicate things as her pursuers close the gap. However, the distances are slight in this section, and Paolini needs good results to stay there if she wants to qualify for a second consecutive year. Her Rome Open title gave her a boost, but it won't be enough to guarantee her qualification, especially with strong contenders having great seasons.

The best-positioned players to steal Paolini's spot are Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina (2,536 points) and Ukraine's Elina Svitolina (2,371 points), both eliminated early in the third round at SW19. Surely neither was satisfied with their Wimbledon result, but they are two great players on hardcourts and will have extra motivation heading into the Finals and potentially finishing the year in the top 10.

Other candidates include Ekaterina Alexandrova (2,188 points), Emma Navarro (2,176 points), and Belinda Bencic (2,084 points). A deep run in the Canadian Open, Cincinnati Open, or US Open could make the difference, where even advancing one more round than rivals can prove key in the always-contested 8th place of the Race.