WTA Race Update | Mirra Andreeva leads, Swiatek under pressure as Krejcikova makes her move

One week after the conclusion of Wimbledon, the WTA Race has been updated following a transition week between the grass-court season and the North American hard-court swing. With only a couple of WTA 250 tournaments taking place in Europe, Barbora Krejcikova and Mayar Sherif emerged as the biggest movers of the week after collecting the most Race points.

With several top names currently out of competition, it was a valuable opportunity for established players to return to winning ways and climb positions in the Race. Two-time Grand Slam champion Barbora Krejcikova broke into the top 40 of the Race standings after winning the Athens Open, defeating Maria Sakkari in the final, while the Greek star moved firmly into the top 30.

The WTA Race only measures points earned during the calendar year — starting from the first week of competition in 2026 — and will be crucial in determining the eight players who qualify for the WTA Finals, which will be held in Indian Wells this year, as well as the year-end rankings.

Meanwhile, the top of the Race standings remained unchanged this week. Mirra Andreeva and Aryna Sabalenka continue their close battle for the No.1 spot, while Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina remains within striking distance in third place. Players such as Marta Kostyuk, Victoria Mboko, Iga Swiatek and Naomi Osaka currently remain outside the WTA Finals qualification zone, but their chances remain alive if they can produce strong results during the final part of the season.

Over the last few months, the WTA Race has been consistently dominated by the three leading names of the season. Roland Garros champion Mirra Andreeva currently leads the standings by a narrow margin over Sabalenka, who won the Sunshine Double and has been the most consistent player in terms of total victories. Behind them, Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina remains close, creating a three-player battle for the top position in the coming weeks.

While the top three are almost guaranteed their places at the WTA Finals, Linda Noskova will join them among the leading contenders after her Wimbledon title run, which moved her to No.7 in the Race. Wimbledon runner-up Karolina Muchova sits in fourth place, meaning two Czech players could potentially compete at the season-ending event that brings together the eight best players of the year.

Elina Svitolina currently occupies fifth place in the qualification zone, while the final projected qualifiers for the WTA Finals are American stars Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff. Both players have been regular participants at the event in recent years and have once again shown consistency throughout 2026, despite not returning to a Grand Slam final this season.

Some players will be watching their positions closely as the final months of the season approach. Iga Swiatek is at risk of dropping out of the top 10 if she cannot improve her results in the upcoming tournaments. The Polish star currently sits at No.12 in the Race and is around 1,500 points away from the eighth-place position currently occupied by Coco Gauff.

Swiatek will likely need a deep run at the US Open and strong performances at the remaining WTA 1000 events if she wants to return to the tournament she won in 2022 and where she has qualified for five consecutive editions.

Also dreaming of securing a place at the WTA Finals are Marta Kostyuk and Victoria Mboko, currently ninth and 10th in the Race. Kostyuk is only a few points behind Gauff, and every victory could prove decisive in the battle for qualification. The Ukrainian is enjoying the best season of her career after reaching the semifinals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, while also winning her first WTA 1000 title in Madrid. She remains one of the strongest candidates to replace one of the current top eight.

Behind her is Victoria Mboko, who spent the first months of the season near the top of the Race standings, even challenging for a place inside the top five. However, her recent absence due to injury has cost her valuable points.

She is now more than 1,000 points behind Gauff and over 800 points behind Kostyuk, while her confirmed absence from the Canadian Open — where she was defending the title — further complicates her chances. A strong recovery will be needed, but she will have fewer opportunities than other contenders to collect points.

Sorana Cirstea, Iva Jovic, Belinda Bencic and Diana Shnaider complete the Race top 15 and remain within reach of the top 10. Although qualifying for the WTA Finals still appears unlikely, a strong North American hard-court swing at the Canadian Open or Cincinnati could significantly improve their positions ahead of the final Grand Slam of the year, the US Open. Whoever performs best during this stretch could enter the final months of the season with a realistic chance of finishing inside the top 10.