Sabalenka Increases Lead Over Swiatek In Latest WTA Rankings, Gauff Closes Up
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The first week of the season is over, and with it, there were also some changes in the WTA Rankings.
The 2025 season started with an exciting week of tennis across all tournaments played on the WTA Tour. At the ASB Classic in Auckland, which was the lowest-tier event out of all played, Naomi Osaka wrote a beautiful comeback story.
The Japanese player reached the final of the WTA 250 tournament, and even though she had to retire from the final match, it was a great week that secured her a return to the Top 50 in the rankings.
Last year, Osaka earned 32 points for her efforts in the first week of the season when she reached the second round of the Brisbane International. This year, she earned a total of 163 points, which moved her up by seven places to the World No. 50 position.
Her final opponent, Clara Tauson, also had a great week, which she ended with the title above her hand. The Danish player moved up by nine positions, improving to the World No. 41 place.
But there were also interesting developments at the top of the rankings, even though none of the positions in the Top 14 changed. Aryna Sabalenka started last week as the World No. 1 player, and she also started this week as the top-ranked player.
However, the Belarusian player was able to extend her lead over second Iga Swiatek. Last year, the Polish player won all of her singles matches at the United Cup, which guaranteed her 500 ranking points.
This year, she lost to Coco Gauff in the final, which translated into only 325 points for the Polish player. On the other hand, Sabalenka lost 325 points for her last year's Brisbane International final appearance, but she earned 500 for winning the tournament this year.
But the third Coco Gauff closed up on both of these players. She lost 250 points for last year's ASB Classic win, but since she was undefeated at the United Cup this year, the 20-year-old American player earned 500 ranking points, closing up on both of her rivals.
Elena Rybakina, who stayed sixth, lost the most points out of the Top 10 players. Last year, she won the Brisbane International, which was worth 500 points, but she earned only 150 points at the United Cup this year, which meant a net loss of 350 points for her.
The first move in the latest rankings occurred in the 15th position. 17-year-old prodigy Mirra Andreeva played in the semi-finals of the Brisbane International, and thanks to this run, she improved by one position to her new career high.
The biggest mover of the week in the Top 100, without a single bit of a doubt, was Polina Kudermetova. The 21-year-old Russian player started the Brisbane International as a qualifier, but she ended up standing in the final match. Thanks to this run, she improved by 50 positions to the World No. 57 place.
