WTA Rankings Update: Anisimova drops down as Raducanu and Boulter rise after mixed title runs

There was a whole host of WTA action going on last week, with a number of tournaments being played out around the Middle East and Europe with the top 100 tennis players looking to capitalise on a golden opportunity to rise the rankings. There have been some big movement this week with titles being shared out, along with the fact that the first WTA 1000 event of the year has began in Qatar, meaning that points have come off the rankings of many players from last year's event as they look to recoup and recover.

There is movement in the top 10 but right at the summit Aryna Sabalenka is sitting comfortably in top spot. Her 10,990 tally will not be getting touched anytime soon, with Iga Swiatek her closest competitor in second. While this is the case, it may not be for much longer with Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina right on her heels in third. This time next week, the Pole could see herself drop out of the top two once more.

American duo Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula have risen to fourth and fifth respectively thanks to the 2025 Qatar Open champion Amanda Anisimova losing all the points collected from last year. She now sits in sixth relishing the chance to defend one of her breakout title runs. Mirra Andreeva and Jasmine Paolini stay firm in seventh and eighth with Elina Svitolina and Ekaterina Alexandrova moving up a place into ninth and tenth.

It is good news for the Russian who is back in the top 10, but she will leave Abu Dhabi disappointed after losing in the final. Albeit at least she head the chance to compete, with last year's champion Belinda Bencic not even able to take to the court due to illness. She falls a couple of spots down to 11th.

Victoria Mboko has already risen to a new career high of 12th in the world as she continues to defend virtually nothing. Clara Tauson also rises two places after a semi-final in the Abu Dhabi Open. Karolina Muchova climbs two places into 17th to the loss of Ludmila Samsonova and Emma Navarro.

While it is not a first WTA title since the 2021 US Open, Emma Raducanu has finally made another final in the Transylvania Open. She would go on to get battered but is still able to rise seven places up to 23rd in the world. The champion, Sorana Cirstea, also moved up seven places in her final year on tour, now perched in 29th.

The biggest mover and winner from last week has to be the unlikely Sara Beljek. The Czech talent won the Abu Dhabi Open title as a qualifier, taking down Alexandrova in the final. She was ranked 101st last week but thanks to a 63 place rise is now debuting in the top 40, ending in 38th in the world. Just following her Hailey Baptise continues her great progress. She rose 14 places last week and has risen another 17 this week to a career high 39th in the world.

One of the big losers was Jelena Ostapenko. A finalist last year in Qatar, she is under a lot of pressure to get those points back as she drops 18 places down to 42nd. Last year's champion in Cluj, Anastasia Potapova, only managed a quarter-final this time around as she starts the week 74th 16 place for the worse.

Other big fallers include Veronika Kudermetova (-8 to 46th), Magda Linette (-10 to 49), Emiliana Arango (-12 to 58th), Ella Seidel (-12 to 95th) and Lulu Sun (-12 to 98th). That is not even close to comparison to Ashlyn Krueger who drops a staggering 45 spots as she plummets down the order to 100th in the world, right on the brink.

The second player to make it into the top 100 is Katie Boulter, but this time it is her returning, A much needed title in the Czech Republic sees her lifted up to 83rd in a 22 place gain. Transylvania Open semi-finalist Oleksandra Oliynykova continues her rise, moving up 21 spots to 70th. More British joy as Sonay Kartal clambers up to 50th with 11 places gained while Varvara Gracheva (+10 to 63rd) Alycia Parks (+10 to 75th) and Simona Waltert (+13 to 81st) all enjoyed good weeks on tour.