Sabalenka Only Second In UTR Rankings Despite Australian Open Win

Tuesday, 06 February 2024 at 12:00

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byNurein Ahmed

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.

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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.

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WTA Race Update: Sabalenka Remains Top But In-Form Ostapenko Motors Into Top Three

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