WTA Race Update: Swiatek, Rybakina And Paolini Make Up Top Three

There is no catching Iga Swiatek in the race to the finish line as the WTA season enters a crucial phase that will seal qualification hopes for some players at the WTA Finals.

The 2024 WTA Race to Riyadh appears to be a lock as far as the year-end No. 1 ranking goes. Swiatek, who is still on top, has a huge lead. To put into context just how dominant she has been, she leads second-placed Elena Rybakina by 2564 points.

Despite her underperformance at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, where Swiatek missed out on adding as many as 4000 points, she has won the most WTA titles this year with five.

Success at four WTA 1000 tournaments and her fourth Roland Garros in five years have propelled the high-flying Pole to within a touching distance of year-end No. 1 ranking for the third season in a row.

Unlike last year, when the race between herself and Aryna Sabalenka went to the final tournament of the season in Cancun, Swiatek could realistically seal the No. 1 spot at the end of September.

She is the only player to qualify for the 2024 WTA Finals, which will be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, at the start of November. As many as three debutants could compete at the WTA's flagship year-end tournament.

One of those is Jasmine Paolini, who is third in the race with 4505 points. The Italian's career-best season took him to two Grand Slam singles finals and accounts for the bulk of her points.

She edges Sabalenka, who remains outside the top three for now. The Belarusian was forced to withdraw from Wimbledon because of a shoulder injury but is aiming to return to North America next month.

Coco Gauff (5th) will try to close the gap on those above her. When she returns to home soil at the start of August, she'll be hoping to replicate her performances from last year.

Danielle Collins is having an unforgettable season, which is her last on the WTA Tour. The 30-year-old American is sixth in the race, but she has never qualified for the WTA Finals in the past.

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Another player who is also targeting a spot at the season finale is Qinwen Zheng, who has re-entered the top eight after winning the Palermo Open. There is a lot to play for in the second half of the season, with so many players destined for a new best ranking at the end of the year.

Jelena Ostapenko, Daria Kasatkina, and Emma Navarro have each won a title this year and have thrust themselves into the conversation to qualify for the WTA Finals, sitting just outside the top eight.

Anna Kalinskaya, Donna Vekic, Marta Kostyuk, and Madison Keys will also need a strong finish to the season to have a chance of qualifying.

One player who is in danger of missing out is Jessica Pegula, last year's finalist in Cancun. She is currently 19th in the race after injuries threatened to sabotage her season.

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2024 WTA Race as of July 22, 2024: