Parks returns to Top 100; Chwalinska, Bencic boosted

This week’s edition of the PIF WTA Rankings takes into account last week’s WTA 125 tournaments in Angers, France on indoor hard courts and Florianopolis, Brazil on clay, as well as sundry ITF World Tour events across the world.

WTA 125 champions Parks, Chwalinska make moves

In Angers, Alycia Parks reclaimed the trophy she first won in 2022, defeating Belinda Bencic in the final and impressing with her power game all week. Parks has thrived at WTA 125 level in 2024, having also lifted the trophies on grass in Gaiba and on outdoor hard courts in Warsaw, as well as reaching the Midland final on indoor hard courts. The result lifts the American 19 places from No.103 to No.84 — the position she started January at, and her first week inside the Top 100 since August.

In Florianopolis, Maja Chwalinska collected the first WTA 125 title of her career with a title run that featured a quarterfinal upset of No.2 seed Mayar Sherif. The Pole climbs 30 places from No.158 to a new career high of No.128. Chwalinska, who underwent knee surgery in September 2022, struggled in 2023 and fell to No.349 by the end of that season. But she regrouped with a 45-20 record in 2024, also including two ITF W75 titles and two further ITF W75 runner-up showings.

Bencic, McNally, Burrage comebacks gather momentum

This autumn has seen both Belinda Bencic and Caty McNally return to action at ITF level following lengthy breaks, and both players posted the best tournament of their respective comebacks last week.

Former No.4 Bencic gave birth to her first daughter, Bella, in April. She compiled a 4-1 record in her first three tournaments back from maternity leave, two ITF W75s and the Billie Jean King Cup play-offs. Last week, the 27-year-old Swiss player did not drop a set en route to the Angers final, notching wins over Patricia Maria Tig and Oceane Dodin, before falling to Parks. Bencic rockets up 432 places from No.913 to No.481.

Former No.54 McNally underwent elbow surgery in March and was sidelined for eight months. The 23-year-old American fell in the second round of her first two tournaments back, the Midland WTA 125 and Austin ITF W50. Last week, in her third event back, McNally took the Tampa ITF W50 title after defeating No.1 seed Maria Mateas in the first round and 15-year-old prodigy Hannah Klugman in the quarterfinals. She soars 223 places from No.766 to No.543.

Jodie Burrage was at a career high of No.85 in March when a wrist injury necessitated the fourth surgery of her career. A mid-season ankle injury was another setback, and the Briton was out of action for nearly seven months. Two weeks ago, she reached the first final of her comeback at the Trnava ITF W75, and she went one further last week by lifting the Dubai ITF W100 trophy — the biggest title of her career to date. Burrage returns to the Top 200 as a result, jumping 59 places from No.238 to No.179.

Bencic, McNally and Burrage have all entered next month’s Australian Open main draw using special rankings.

Other notable rankings movements

Polina Kudermetova, +10 to No.106: Kudermetova, 21, reached the first ITF W100 final of her career in Dubai last week, and rises to a new career high.

Dominika Salkova, +15 to No.151: In July, the 20-year-old Czech hit a career high of No.129 after reaching the Prague second round. But what could have been a breakthrough tournament turned into a setback when Salkova injured her ankle in the third set against eventual finalist Magdalena Frech, and was sidelined for three months. She’s heading in the right direction again after reaching the last four in Angers last week — her third consecutive semifinal, and first of her career at WTA 125 level.

Ylena In-Albon, +62 to No.280: The 25-year-old Swiss player reached her first career WTA 125 final in Florianopolis last week, qualifying and then coming from 6-3, 4-0 down — saving two match points — to upset No.1 seed Maria Lourdes Carle in the semifinals. In-Albon set her career high of No.110 in June 2022.