Osaka and Collins soar over 30 places, Sakkari on the rise

Last week, Danielle Collins came full circle at the Miami Open to write one of the most compelling stories this year.

Back in 2018, fresh out of college and ranked No.93, Collins became the first qualifier to reach the Miami semifinals. Playing in only her fifth WTA main-draw event and making her tournament debut, Collins scored Top 20 wins over CoCo Vandeweghe and Venus Williams.

Six years on, playing her final Miami after announcing in January that 2024 will be her last professional season, Collins became the lowest-ranked champion in tournament history at No.53. Her title run, in which she dropped only one set (to Bernarda Pera in the first round), marked her first at WTA 1000 level.

As a result, the 30-year-old American soars up 31 places to No.22 in this week’s edition of the WTA rankings. It’s her highest placement since January of 2023. She reached her career high of No.7 back in July 2022.

WTA 125 champions receive boosts

Two players claimed WTA 125 titles on clay last week. In Antalya, Jessica Bouzas Maneiro continued a stellar season by winning the biggest trophy of her career. The 21-year-old Spaniard rises 23 places from No.127 to a new career high of No.124. Bouzas Maneiro has also won two ITF titles this year, and her 2024 record now stands at 22-5.

Meanwhile in San Luis Potosi, former Roland Garros semifinalist Nadia Podoroska won the second WTA 125 title of her career and climbs 11 places from No.78 to No.67. The Argentinian’s career high is No.36, which she reached in September of 2021.

Other notable rankings movements

Maria Sakkari (+2, No.9 to No.7): In February, Sakkari dropped out of the Top 10 for the first time in over two years. She spent only one week outside it, though. She backed up an Indian Wells final run by reaching the Miami quarterfinals.

Ekaterina Alexandrova (+1, No.16 to No.15): Alexandrova enjoyed a spectacular run in Miami, notching her fifth and sixth career Top 5 wins, over Iga Swiatek and Jessica Pegula, en route to her second WTA 1000 semifinal. The 29-year-old reaches a new career high.

Victoria Azarenka (+6, No.32 to No.26): Azarenka reached the final four in Miami for the first time since 2018. Her five career semifinals in Miami are the most she has tallied at any tournament at WTA 1000 level or above.

Yulia Putintseva (+16, No.68 to No.52): Putintseva followed a fourth-round run in Indian Wells by reaching her sixth quarterfinal at WTA 1000 level or above in Miami. The former No.27 returns to her highest ranking since May of last year.

Yuriko Lily Miyazaki (+26, from No.164 to No.138): The Briton won her second ITF W75 title of the year, in Croissy-Beauborg last week, and surges to a new career high.

Dominika Salkova (+35, from No.204 to No.169): The Czech 19-year-old put together an eight-match winning streak on Slovenian indoor hard courts over the past two weeks, winning her biggest title to date at the Maribor ITF W75 then reaching the Murska Sobota ITF W50 semifinals. Salkova, who won her first tour-level match at Prague 2022, enters the Top 200 for the first time.

Naomi Osaka (+37, from No.229 to No.192): The former World No.1 notched the second Top 20 win of her comeback from maternity leave in Miami, defeating Elina Svitolina to reach the third round. Osaka returns to the Top 200 for the first time in 12 months.

Lucija Ciric Bagaric (+13, from No.207 to No.194): The 20-year-old Croatian opened her season with a 23-match, four-tournament winning streak,and debuts in the Top 200 following the last of those at the Alaminos ITF W35 three weeks ago. Ciric Bagaric’s run was halted by Maja Chwalinska in the first round of another Alaminos ITF W35 the following week.

Francesca Jones (+56, from No.270 to No.214): Since reaching her career high of No.149 back in February of 2022, Jones has had to bounce back from injury setbacks multiple times. Twelve months ago, she reached her first WTA semifinal in Bogota, but was sidelined for another five months following Roland Garros. Last week, the 23-year-old Briton reached her first WTA 125 final in San Luis Potosi.

Maya Joint (+32, from No.324 to No.292): After delivering a succession of eye-catching results on home soil to open 2024, the 17-year-old Australian continued her momentum to win the Santo Domingo ITF W35 three weeks ago. She enters the Top 300 for the first time.

Emerson Jones (+111, from No.750 to No.639): The Australian Open girls’ finalist was the runner-up at the Swan Hill ITF W35 two weeks ago. Jones, 15, became the first player born in 2008 or later to reach a W35 final. She, too, reaches a new career high.

Luna Vujovic (UNR to No.1146): The 14-year-old Serb reached the Antalya ITF W15 final two weeks ago in her first professional tournament and has entered the WTA rankings. Vujovic is now the youngest player on the rankings list.