Sabalenka Increases Her World No. 1 Lead Over Swiatek Despite Doha Disappointment
News
Aryna Sabalenka might have lost early at the 2025 Qatar Open in Doha, but she still increased her lead over Iga Swiatek in the latest WTA Rankings.
The latest edition of the WTA Rankings didn't bring any changes in the Top 10, but there were many moves outside of the Top 10. On top of that, while no positions changed in the Top 10, there were also many interesting points swings.
For example, top-ranked Sabalenka's total didn't change at all. She surprisingly lost in her first match in Doha last year, and she lost in her first match also this year. Because of that, her points total stayed at 8,966.
On the other hand, second Swiatek lost plenty of points. The Polish player was a three-time defending champion at the Qatar Open. But this year, she lost in the semi-finals, which means she lost 610 points compared to last year.
For her win in 2024, Swiatek earned 1,000 points, while her semi-final appearance this year was worth only 390 points. Because of that, she lost a big part of her lead to Sabalenka, as her point total now shows 8,160 points.
Behind the duo and far ahead of the next competitor is third Coco Gauff, who continues to be in the middle of nowhere. The American player has a 1,622-point deficit to second Swiatek and a 1,140-point lead over fourth Jasmine Paolini
Gauff has 6,538 points in the WTA Rankings after she also didn't add any points to her total. She lost in her first match in Doha. Paolini, behind her, has 5,398 points.
While Gauff doesn't have to be scared about losing her spot, that's different for the Italian player, who has plenty of opponents close behind her. Jessica Pegula is fifth with 5,076 points, and Madison Keys is sixth with 4,680 points.
Although none of these players changed their position, the star of the week was also the biggest mover of the week. Amanda Anisimova won the 2025 Qatar Open. It was the biggest win of her tennis career, and thanks to that, she also made a massive move in the rankings.
The 23-year-old American player moved up by 23 spots, and she's now ranked 18th in the world. Anisimova made it to the Top 20 for the first time in her tennis career. She has a total of 2,316 points.
Her final opponent in Doha, Jelena Ostapenko, also made a big move. The Latvian player improved her position by 11 spots. She's now ranked 26th in the world with 1,952 points.
On the other hand, some players lost plenty of spots. For example, last year's Qatar Open semi-finalist, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, dropped down by 11 spots to the World No. 36 position.
Naomi Osaka, who played in the quarter-finals in Doha last year, lost 10 spots. The Japanese player is now ranked 54th in the world with 1,049 points.
The new week will also bring a new chance to add points. Players will compete at the 2025 Dubai Championships, which is another WTA 1000 event.
