World number one Iga Swiatek secured an impressive straight-set victory over Aryna Sabalenka in the final of the Italian Open to extend her reign at the top of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) world rankings.
The 22-year-old swatted Sabalenka aside – winning 6-2, 6-3 – and picked up the 21st title of her young career. That triumph was Swiatek’s third Italian title in four years and she did not lose a single set in this year’s competition.
“After Madrid I knew it wasn’t going to be easy,” Swiatek told the crowd after her latest win. “I’m really happy that I was able to play consistently during the clay season. The final tournament is in front of us. I always enjoy playing here.”
Who is top of the WTA rankings?
With another victory in the Italian Open Swiatek reiterates her status as the world’s top female player. Sabalenka, who she defeated in the final, is a distant second in the WTA rankings and is closely followed by American sensational Coco Gauff.
| Ranking | Name | Country | WTA Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iga Swiatek | Poland | 10,910 |
| 2 | Aryna Sabalenka | 7,498 | |
| 3 | Coco Gauff | United States | 7,313 |
| 4 | Elena Rybakina | Kazakhstan | 6,673 |
| 5 | Jessica Pegula | United States | 4,655 |
| 6 | Marketa Vondrousova | Czechia | 4,090 |
| 7 | Qinwen Zheng | China | 3,945 |
| 8 | Maria Sakkari | Greece | 3,925 |
| 9 | Ons Jabeur | Tunisia | 3,748 |
| 10 | Jelena Ostapenko | Latvia | 3,493 |
Sabalenka was defeated on Saturday but she aimed a friendly jab at Swiatek after the match, saying: “Congrats on an incredible two weeks in Rome. I hope we make it to the final at Roland Garros and I’m going to beat you there! Just kidding but I want to do better than today.”
How are the WTA rankings calculated?
The Women’s Tennis Association rankings employ a cumulative system that considers a player’s performance over 52 weeks. The ranking of a tennis player is determined based on their results in up to 18 singles tournaments and 12 doubles tournaments. Points are allocated according to the player’s progress in each tournament, with more points being awarded for advancing further. This methodology ensures that the rankings accurately reflect a player’s overall performance over time, providing a reliable measure of their skills and abilities in the sport.
Swiatek, the world No. 1, has held top spot since 6 November 2023 and has now topped the rankings for a total of 103 weeks. She is the first Polish player, either male or female, to be ranked as the world’s best.
Coco Gauff has arisen as the highest-ranked American player on the WTA Tour, despite only being 20 years old. Last year she beat Sabalenka at the US Open, winning her first major singles title. Gauff made it to the semi-finals of the Australia Open earlier this year and is one of the world’s top players.
