Aryna Sabalenka completed the first successful defense of the Australian Open women's tournament in 11 years but still occupied the second spot in the latest UTR (Universal Tennis Rating) rankings.
The UTR is a global rating system meant to assess tennis players' skill levels across all levels worldwide, regardless of their age, gender, or geography. It assigns a numerical rating between 1.00 and 16.50.
A player who is just getting started usually has a single-digit rating, with beginners normally given a 1.00 rating. At the same time, high-level professional players who compete on tour will have a double-digit rating.
UTR rankings are not affiliated with the official WTA rankings, nor is there any correlation between the two. However, the UTR gives the greatest weight to daily results, including the tournament, the competitiveness of the matches, and the quality of opponents.
The recently published UTR rankings have generated some surprises. Aryna Sabalenka only climbed two spots into second place with a rating of 12.92. The Belarusian captured the 2024 Australian Open in a grand manner, not relinquishing a single set during the fortnight.
Since 2000, only four other women have accomplished this feat in Melbourne. Because of such unerring dominance, one pundit pronounced that she is the modern-day Serena Williams.
Current World No. 1 Iga Swiatek has a higher UTR rating (13.22) than the rest of the women in the world. Coco Gauff, who was a semifinalist in Melbourne, ranked in third spot ahead of Elena Rybakina and Jessica Pegula.
Some of the most surprising inclusions in the Top 10 include Simona Halep, who has been suspended from competing professionally for a period of four years due to doping. The Romanian has a UTR rating of 12.80 and sits in 7th spot.
Madison Keys, meanwhile, is currently on an injury hiatus and hasn't played in 2024. The American has a UTR of 12.83 and came up in the sixth position.
16-year-old Mirra Andreeva is ranked in the 11th spot with a UTR rating of 12.69, ahead of established names like Victoria Azarenka, Maria Sakkari, and Ons Jabeur.
UTR Women's Rankings as of February 5th, 2024:
| Rank | Player | UTR |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iga Swiatek | 13.22 |
| 2 | Aryna Sabalenka | 12.97 |
| 3 | Coco Gauff | 12.95 |
| 4 | Elena Rybakina | 12.88 |
| 5 | Jessica Pegula | 12.86 |
| 6 | Madison Keys | 12.83 |
| 7 | Simona Halep | 12.80 |
| 8 | Karolina Muchova | 12.79 |
| 9 | Elina Svitolina | 12.71 |
| 10 | Paula Badosa | 12.69 |
| 11 | Mirra Andreeva | 12.69 |
| 12 | Marketa Vondrousova | 12.67 |
| 13 | Zheng Qinwen | 12.63 |
| 14 | Victoria Azarenka | 12.63 |
| 15 | Liudmila Samsonova | 12.61 |
| 16 | Maria Sakkari | 12.58 |
| 17 | Jelena Ostapenko | 12.58 |
| 18 | Danielle Collins | 12.56 |
| 19 | Ons Jabeur | 12.55 |
| 20 | Leylah Fernandez | 12.52 |
| 21 | Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova | 12.51 |
| 22 | Barbora Krejcikova | 12.50 |
| 23 | Belinda Bencic | 12.50 |
| 24 | Beatriz Haddad Maia | 12.50 |
| 25 | Petra Kvitova | 12.50 |
| 26 | Marie Bouzkova | 12.50 |
| 27 | Laura Siegemund | 12.45 |
| 28 | Ekaterina Alexandrova | 12.44 |
| 29 | Emma Navarro | 12.43 |
| 30 | Amanda Anisimova | 12.42 |
| 31 | Sara Sorribes Tormo | 12.42 |
| 32 | Daria Kasatkina | 12.42 |
| 33 | Elise Mertens | 12.41 |
| 34 | Linda Noskova | 12.41 |
| 35 | Veronika Kudermetova | 12.41 |
| 36 | Sofia Kenin | 12.40 |
| 37 | Caroline Wozniacki | 12.39 |
| 38 | Anna Kalinskaya | 12.37 |
| 39 | Katie Boulter | 12.35 |
| 40 | Katerina Siniakova | 12.34 |
| 41 | Emma Raducanu | 12.34 |
| 42 | Petra Martic | 12.33 |
| 43 | Sloane Stephens | 12.32 |
| 44 | Marta Kostyuk | 12.31 |
| 45 | Clara Tauson | 12.31 |
| 46 | Clara Burel | 12.30 |
| 47 | Jennifer Brady | 12.30 |
| 48 | Lesia Tsurenko | 12.29 |
| 49 | Sorana Cirstea | 12.29 |
| 50 | Karolina Pliskova | 12.29 |
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