Gauff Continues Dominance In Olympics Race While Swiatek Stays Second

It's a new week, but Coco Gauff's dominance in the Olympics Race shows no signs of waning.

The American teenager superstar has earned 4,200 points since the race began in mid-June, thanks largely to her three title triumphs on US hard courts which included a maiden Grand Slam title in New York. Gauff leads second-placed Iga Swiatek by 1,340 points ahead of the WTA Finals.

Marketa Vondrousova is in third place and is currently the Czech Republic's top-ranked player. The bulk of her 2,835 points came from her shock Wimbledon success in July. The lefty is ahead of World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka by just 30 points.

Jessica Pegula and Madison Keys are two of three American women inside the Top 10 in the Olympics Race (along with Gauff). One nation can only be represented by a maximum of four of its best-ranked players in the 64-player draw.

African hopes will be shouldered by Tunisia's Ons Jabeur. There is a new Top 10 member in the race, and that is China's top-ranked player Qinwen Zheng. The 21-year-old came up short in the final of the WTA Elite Trophy on Sunday, which delayed her WTA Top 10 debut, but she's broken that barrier in the Olympics Race.

Mirra Andreeva could miss out on playing her first Olympics. The 16-year-old sensation is currently among the world's Top 56 - the number that will automatically qualify - but she is not among the best four ranked Russian players. That distinction is held by Liudmila Samsonova, Daria Kasatkina, Ekaterina Alexandrova, and Veronika Kudermetova.

But the decision on whether Russian and Belarusian athletes will be allowed to compete at the Paris Olympics next year is vested with the International Olympics Committee (IOC), who haven't commented on the issue or lifted the ban in place.

The tennis event at the Paris Olympics is scheduled to commence on July 27, 2024, and will run till August 4, 2024, at the iconic Stade Roland Garros.