Mirra Andreeva cracks Top 20, Gauff back into Top 5

Over the past two weeks, the Hologic WTA Tour touched down in Beijing for the ninth WTA 1000 event of the season. Coco Gauff came away with the title, her third at WTA 1000 level or above, defeating Karolina Muchova in the final.

Gauff and Muchova are among the players boosted in this week’s edition of the PIF WTA Rankings. Four weeks ago, Gauff fell out of the Top 5 for the first time since August 2023. The 20-year-old American is back inside it already, climbing two places to No.4.

Muchova, who was playing just the seventh tournament of her comeback from wrist surgery, reached her second final of 2024 and third overall at WTA 1000 level or above. The Czech — who snapped US Open champion Aryna Sabalenka’s 15-match winning streak in the quarterfinals — rises 18 spots to No.31.

Mirra Andreeva, Starodubtseva break new ground; Zhang soars 345 spots

Two Beijing quarterfinalists hit significant milestones as a result of their runs in the Chinese capital. Mirra Andreeva, 17, makes her Top 20 debut after reaching her fourth quarterfinal of 2024 — all at WTA 1000 level or above — climbing three spots to No.19. Andreeva is the youngest player to be ranked inside the Top 20 since a 17-year-old Nicole Vaidisova in October 2006, and the youngest to crack the Top 20 for the first time since Vaidisova in October 2005.

Ukraine’s Yuliia Starodubtseva continued her rapid ascent up the rankings with a run to the last eight, notching her first Top 20 win in the fourth round over Anna Kalinskaya. The 24-year-old Old Dominion University alumna only gained a WTA ranking for the first time in June 2023. This year, she became the first woman in the Open Era to successfully qualify for each Grand Slam in a single season. Starodubtseva rockets up 36 places to No.79, and becomes the 20th Ukrainian player to reach the Top 100.

Meanwhile, the biggest single jump this week comes courtesy of 35-year-old Zhang Shuai, who rebounded from an extreme slump in spectacular fashion. Zhang went into Beijing on a 24-match losing streak, and not only snapped it but went all the way to the quarterfinals. The former No.22’s run included her 15th career Top 10 win, over Emma Navarro in the second round. Zhang roars up 345 places from No.595 to No.250.

Other notable rankings movements

Anna Kalinskaya, +1 to No.13: The Dubai and Berlin runner-up reaches a new career high after making the last 16 in Beijing.

Paula Badosa, +4 to No.15: The former World No.2’s resurgence continued with a semifinal run in Beijing. Badosa has compiled a 28-8 record since mid-May.

Donna Vekic, +2 to No.18: Wimbledon semifinalist Vekic reached the third round of Beijing and climbs to a new career high. Vekic hit her previous peak of No.19 back in November 2019.

Magdalena Frech, +4 to No.27: Guadalajara champion Frech extended her winning streak to seven by reaching the Beijing last 16, and makes her Top 30 debut as a result.

Rebecca Sramkova, +8 to No.53: Hua Hin 2 champion Sramkova qualified and reached the third round in Beijing to compile a nine-match winning streak. The Slovak has won 13 of her past 15 matches, and hits a new career high.

Naomi Osaka, +15 to No.58: The former World No.1 made the fourth round in Beijing, notching three consecutive wins for the second time this year.

Ajla Tomljanovic, +21 to No.86: The Australian won the WTA 125 title last week in Hong Kong — her second at that level in the past 12 months — and returns to the Top 100 for the first time since August 2023.

Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva, +23 to No.152: The 19-year-old Andorran won the first ITF W75 title of her career two weeks ago in Lisbon. Jimenez Kasintseva reached a career high of No.121 in November 2022, but is on the rebound after falling to No.379 in March this year.

Mananchaya Sawangkaew, +20 to No.167: The 22-year-old Thai qualified for Beijing and won the first WTA main-draw match of her career. Sawangkaew hits a new career high, as well as becoming the Thai No.1.

Lola Radivojevic, +45 to No.184: Radivojevic enters the Top 200 for the first time after capturing her second ITF W75 title of the year in Kursumlijska Banja two weeks ago. The 19-year-old Serb has won 20 of her last 24 matches.

Aoi Ito, +22 to No.191: Ito also makes her Top 200 debut after the Japanese 20-year-old won her biggest career title to date at the Nanao ITF W50 two weeks ago.

Iva Jovic, +74 to No.216: Junior No.2 Jovic made a splash as a wild card at the US Open, where she upset Magda Linette to reach the second round. The 16-year-old American has returned to the ITF World Tour over the past two weeks, and has compiled a 10-match winning streak after claiming the Berkeley ITF W35 and Rancho Santa Fe ITF W75 titles back-to-back. Jovic is the highest-placed 16-year-old on the PIF WTA Rankings.

Zarina Diyas, +81 to No.490: Former No.31 Diyas returned to action in May after an injury hiatus of nearly two years. Last week, she qualified for the first WTA main draw of her comeback in Beijing.

Julia Grabher, +201 to No.592: Former No.54 Grabher was sidelined due to two wrist surgeries between August 2023 and March 2024. The Austrian won the first title of her comeback two weeks ago at the Santa Margherita di Pula ITF W35.

Simona Halep, +272 to No.878: Former World No.1 Halep won her first match since August 2022 last week at the Hong Kong WTA 125, defeating Arina Rodionova in three sets to reach the second round.

Mariella Thamm, +186 to No.948 and Annika Penickova, +241 to No.977: Two 15-year-olds make their Top 1000 debuts this week. Germany’s Thamm reached her first final in her fifth professional tournament three weeks ago at the Nogent-sur-Marne ITF W15, while the United States’ Penickova reached the second round of the Rancho Santa Fe ITF W75 last week.