WTA Rankings Update after Rome Open: Coco Gauff up to World No.2 as Iga Swiatek's slide begins

While Jasmine Paolini sealed Rome Open glory, it was perhaps Coco Gauff that was the big winner as she moved up to World No.2 finally in the latest WTA Rankings with Iga Swiatek's slide cemented.

Aryna Sabalenka still sits way ahead as World No.1. Unlike time's gone by, it doesn't seem likely that she will be tested as the top WTA star for a long time to come. She lost nearly 500 points this week but not as much as the former long-time World No.1 Swiatek.

Gauff moves up to World No.2 once again and it is perhaps a bit of a surprise. Given that Jessica Pegula almost had a free pass in order to become World No.2 pending Swiatek's results, a return to form for Gauff has seen her hoist herself ahead and give Pegula a short reign as the American No.1 which has now ended.

Pegula though is sitting pretty in third and has a chance to overtake Gauff this next week. She plays Strasbourg while Gauff and co prepare for Roland Garros. Only Emma Navarro and Paula Badosa out of the top 10 will also play the event. Jasmine Paolini though also has points dropping off in short order albeit a slightly less bitter pill to take after winning Rome.

She added nearly 1000 points to her tally as she attempts to offset the points for reaching the final of Roland Garros and try and give herself less of an uphill battle to defend them. But Swiatek is the big story. She is now World No.5 and perhaps will only be saved by Mirra Andreeva herself having to defend semi-final points in Paris.

Swiatek will be the one to watch as she defends the title and has been in no form at all. She also can't rise of course as most of her points are made up of that win and so it would be merely a defending job. So she is stuck in this position likely until grass at least.

While she has had off court issues to deal with such as her grandfather passing, the crisis that Swiatek has been going through cannot be understated. Surfaces like Madrid and Rome have been almost designed for her game to the level Paris is and now she has faltered when the big pressure comes in Paris.

Mirra Andreeva and Madison Keys have shifted positions as the Russian again reaches a career high. She is up to World No.6 and is approaching the top five. While further down Daria Kasatkina isn't taking to being an Aussie too well. She has drifted down to World No.17.

Further down Peyton Stearns proved herself to be a real threat by performing well in Madrid and then in Rome the latter reaching the semi-finals in a crushing loss in the end against Jasmine Paolini as she held all the impetus. She now moves up though 15 spots to World No.27. This also helps to offset the lost points by not defending Rabat.

Emma Raducanu too is up as she moves up to World No.43 up six spots. She reached the Last 16 in Rome. But Danielle Collins in the same boat in 46th is sliding. She was once in the top 10 but now is looking likely to leave the top 50. She defends Strasbourg final points this week. Albeit she didn't do much after this week for the rest of the season so the scope is there to come back. But it is a vital week.

Sonay Kartal (53rd), Eva Lys (59th), Alexandra Eala (69th) and Hailey Baptiste (71st) all wake up with Career High rankings. They are all stars on the rise and continue to grow. Unlike Victoria Azarenka in 73rd, Marketa Vondrousova (78th) and Maria Sakkari (92nd) who are all likely to drop out of the top 100 shortly. Very much the changing of the guard.

Bianca Andreescu though after a good week in Rome is back on the cusp of the top 100. She has to play qualifying in Paris so will hope to get some wins that get her into Roland Garros. Same can be said for her compatriot Victoria Mboko who also plays in the event and has jumped up 32 spots to reach World No.122 this week after reaching yet another final.