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Carlos Alcaraz continues to reign supreme at the very top of the ATP Rankings, though Jannik Sinner now has his first chance to claw back some ground as both men return to tour-level action.

World No 1 Alcaraz returned to the top of the ATP Rankings for the first time in two years following his US Open final win over Sinner, ending the Italian’s 65-week reign, and is in pole position to end the year at the very top — with fewer points to defend than his main rival.

However, in his first event since the US Open, Sinner now has the opportunity to claw back some points on the Spaniard and potentially kickstart a strong end-of-season surge.

The Italian is defending 330 finalist points at the China Open in Beijing, having lost the final to Alcaraz twelve months ago, with the world No 1 defending 500 points.

Alcaraz is not in Beijing this year but is instead in action at the ATP 500 Japan Open in Tokyo, meaning he has the same number of points to defend from last year despite competing at a different tournament.

The gap between the two will marginally close if Alcaraz fails to triumph in Tokyo, or if he does prevail but Sinner also triumphs in Beijing; however, Alcaraz could extend his lead if he significantly betters the Italian’s result.

There are no rankings moves inside the top 10, with Lorenzo Musetti missing the chance to move up to world No 8 in the Chengdu Open final.

Musetti spurned two championship points in a thrilling final versus Alejandro Tabilo, and remains at world No 9 in the ATP Rankings — just 40 points behind No 8 Alex de Minaur.

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However, triumph brings good news for Chilean star Tabilo, significantly boosting his ranking after a hugely challenging season so far.

Ranked as high as 19th in the world last July, the 28-year-old had fallen outside the top 100 following a nightmare year.

However, his triumph in Chengdu propels him back up 40 spots in the ATP Rankings to world No 72, and he will now look to end his season building on the momentum generated this week.

Meanwhile, there is also good news for Alexander Bublik, who lifted the fourth title of his stunning 2025 season at the Hangzhou Open on Tuesday.

The Kazakh has moved up three places in the ATP Rankings to world No 16, a brand new career-high ranking for the 28-year-old.

There is also good news for beaten finalist Valentin Royer, who moves up 12 places to a new high ranking of world No 76.

ATP Rankings Top 20 (W/C September 22, 2025)

1) Carlos Alcaraz, 11,540
2) Jannik Sinner, 10,780
3) Alexander Zverev, 5,930
4) Novak Djokovic, 4,830
5) Taylor Fritz, 4,675
6) Ben Shelton, 4,280
7) Jack Draper, 3,690
8) Alex de Minaur, 3,545
9) Lorenzo Musetti, 3,505
10) Karen Khachanov, 3,280
11) Holger Rune, 3,090
12) Casper Ruud, 2,755
13) Felix Auger-Aliassime, 2,755
14) Andrey Rublev, 2,610
15) Tommy Paul, 2,510
16) Alexander Bublik, 2,445 (+3)
17) Jiri Lehecka, 2,415 (-1)
18) Daniil Medvedev, 2,410
19) Jakub Mensik, 2,380 (-2)
20) Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, 2,225

Read Next: ATP China Open Draw: Jannik Sinner learns his path as Alexander Zverev on course to play his nemesis

The post ATP Rankings: Carlos Alcaraz reigns over Jannik Sinner, Alexander Bublik career-high, Alejandro Tabilo +40 appeared first on Tennis365.

Alexander Bublik has made a habit of winning in recent months, and his latest success at the Hangzhou Open has seen the Kazakh join a very exclusive group of players this season.

Seeded third at the ATP 250 event in Hangzhou, world No 19 Bublik did not drop serve once across four straight matches to lift the title, defeating qualifier Valentin Royer 7-6(4), 7-6(4) to lift the title.

The Kazakh is just the second man this year to win an ATP title without dropping serve and dropped just one set in total, and is now set to hit a new career-high of world No 16 when the ATP Rankings update on Wednesday.

“Honestly I always say that wins don’t make me go through the roof and losses don’t put me to the ground,” said Bublik.

“I try to stay stable. I enjoy what I do. I’m happy that I’m able to travel, play tournaments and stay healthy, and the wins are coming — that’s beautiful.”

It is another impressive triumph for Bublik, and he has now achieved a feat only one other man can match in 2025.

Hard, clay, and grass success

2025 has undoubtedly turned into the greatest season of Bublik’s career to date, with four titles now won across the past three months — alongside a maiden Grand Slam quarter-final at Roland Garros.

Prior to the start of the year, the Kazakh had won four titles across his whole career, meaning he has doubled his overall ATP title collection since June.

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An incredible run of form saw Bublik win a second Halle Open title in June, before back-to-back titles at the Swiss Open and Austrian Open in Gstaad and Kitzbuhel in July.

That has now been followed by his latest success in Hangzhou, with the 28-year-old holding a perfect 4-0 record in ATP finals this season, after holding a 4-7 record heading into 2025.

Most remarkably, Bublik has now one title on all three main tennis surfaces this year.

His Halle title came on grass courts, his Gstaad and Kitzbuhel titles came on clay courts, while the Hangzhou Open was contested on hard courts this past week.

Thanks to his Hangzhou triumph, Bublik is now one of just two men to lift titles on all three surfaces this year — alongside world No 1 Carlos Alcaraz.

Alcaraz has won the Rotterdam, Cincinnati, and US Open titles on hard courts this year, the Monte Carlo, Rome, and French Open titles on clay, and the Queen’s Club titles on grass.

In fact, sitting on seven titles, Alcaraz is currently the only man to have won more ATP singles titles than Bublik in 2025.

The only other men to have come close to winning titles on all three surfaces this season have been Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev, who have reached finals on every surface.

World No 2 Sinner lifted the Australian Open title on hard courts and the Wimbledon title on grass, while also finishing runner-up to Alcaraz at Rome and Roland Garros on clay.

Zverev lifted the Munich Open title on clay, was the runner-up to Sinner at the Australian Open, and was also the runner-up to Taylor Fritz on the grass courts of Stuttgart.

Read Next: ATP China Open Draw: Jannik Sinner learns his path as Alexander Zverev on course to play his nemesis

The post The stunning Alexander Bublik feat that only Carlos Alcaraz can match this season appeared first on Tennis365.

Novak Djokovic’s future in tennis has been a big talking point since the 2025 US Open, but the legendary Serbian’s return to action has been confirmed.

The world No 4 will play for the first time since his US Open semi-final loss to Carlos Alcaraz earlier this month at the Shanghai Masters, which will be held from October 1-12.

Djokovic will compete at the Shanghai Masters for the second consecutive year, having reached the final at the 2024 edition, where he lost to Jannik Sinner.

The 38-year-old has won a record four titles at the Masters 1000 tournament in Shanghai, having triumphed in 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2018. In addition, he won his maiden ATP Finals title in Shanghai in 2008.

He’s back

Our 4-time champ, @DjokerNole will return to Shanghai this year!#RolexShanghaiMasters pic.twitter.com/PaF2DPfcM5

— Rolex Shanghai Masters (@SH_RolexMasters) September 23, 2025

The Serbian is also a six-time champion at the China Open — the ATP 500 event in Beijing he last played in 2015.

Djokovic’s appearance at last year’s Shanghai Masters ended a five-year absence from China, with his previous appearance coming at the 2019 edition of the same event.

No ATP Tour events were held in China between 2020 and 2022 due to Covid-19 restrictions, while Djokovic opted not to play when tennis returned to the country in 2023.

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After Djokovic’s straight-set defeat to Alcaraz at the US Open, he was asked about his plans until the 2026 Australian Open.

“That’s far. Australia is far. I mean, I mean, at least at this stage of my career. I mean, I’m not thinking that far, to be honest,” Djokovic said.

“I don’t know. I’m planning to play Athens tournament, that’s for sure. But other than that, it’s really still a question mark where I’m going to go and what I’m going to do.”

In the same press conference, Djokovic admitted he favours his chances of beating Alcaraz and Sinner in the best-of-three set format compared to best-of-five at Grand Slams at this stage of his career.

“I mean, I still want to play Grand Slams, Grand Slam season, full Grand Slam season next year,” the 24-time major champion explained.

“Well, let’s see whether that’s going to happen or not. But, you know, because Slams are Slams, you know, they are just different from any other tournament. They are the pillars of our sport, the most important tournaments we have.

“But yeah, I do fancy my chances a bit more in best of three, you know, I guess one-week tournaments or the Masters tournaments where you have almost two weeks with quite a few days between matches. So, you know, that could, that could serve me better in the matchups against them.”

Djokovic reached the semi-finals at all four majors in 2025, while he secured his most recent — and record-extending 24th — Grand Slam at the 2023 US Open.

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The post Novak Djokovic’s return date confirmed after US Open exit raised questions appeared first on Tennis365.

The final few months of the 2025 WTA Tour season are approaching, and the penultimate WTA 1000 tournament of the season is set to get underway this week.

Since the event first held a women’s singles tournament back in 2004, the China Open has become a popular stop on the tennis calendar, with an array of memorable champions crowned inside the Beijing National Tennis Center.

Twelve months ago, it was Coco Gauff who reigned supreme at the WTA 1000 tournament, downing Karolina Muchova in the final to kickstart a stunning end to her 2024 season; here, we make our predictions for who will triumph in 2025.

First Quarter

Projected Q/F: (1) Iga Swiatek vs (5) Jessica Pegula

Back in top form this summer — and fresh off her Korea Open triumph — Swiatek will be determined to win back the title she won in 2023, having been provisionally suspended for her 2025 title defence.

A likely opener against Yulia Putintseva should be an early sighter for the Pole, who could then face tests from 28th seed Anna Kalinskaya and 16th seed Emma Navarro if she wishes to reach the last eight.

If Swiatek does reach the quarter-final, she could well face fifth seed Pegula, one of the few players to forge a significant rivalry versus the world No 2.

However, Pegula could face a tough early test versus 30th seed Emma Raducanu in round three, before a potential fourth round versus 12th seed Naomi Osaka.

The 2019 champion in Beijing, Osaka will be looking to build on the momentum she built during a resurgent hard-court summer.

Prediction: Swiatek def Osaka

Second Quarter

Projected Q/F: (4) Mirra Andreeva vs (7) Zheng Qinwen

2025 has not gone the way Chinese star Qinwen would have wanted it to, and she now faces a huge chunk of ranking points to defend this Asian swing after her recent surgery.

Returning at the event she was a semi-finalist at in 2024, the seventh seed could take on 26th seed Linda Noskova in the third round, before a round four against either 10th seed Clara Tauson or 21st seed Victoria Mboko — two of the most improved players on tour this year.

All that could lead to a quarter-final against fourth seed Andreeva, in what would be a rematch of a last eight clash from twelve months ago.

After a stunning spring and solid French Open and Wimbledon campaigns, the 18-year-old’s momentum has somewhat cooled, and 29th seed Dayana Yastremska could prove a stumbling block in round three.

However, should Andreeva make it through that, the rest of her mini-section looks comfortable, with out-of-form 14th seed Daria Kasatkina the highest-ranked player she can face before the quarter-final.

Prediction: Andreeva def Tauson

Third Quarter

Projected Q/F: (6) Jasmine Paolini vs (3) Amanda Anisimova

Fresh off her latest Billie Jean King Cup heroics in Shenzhen, can Paolini end what has been an up-and-down season on a high — and secure her WTA Finals spot?

The Italian’s hopes have certainly been boosted by a kind mini-section in Beijing, with the sixth seed facing Anastasija Sevastova or Kimberly Birrell in round two.

Paolini’s projected pathway of 27th seed Sofia Kenin and then 24th seed Veronika Kudermetova — with 11th seed Elina Svitolina having withdrawn — seems very winnable, though Anisimova could prove a stern quarter-final test.

Anisimova has not been in action since her US Open final loss, but after rebounding well from her defeat in the Wimbledon final, the 24-year-old will likely be back and ready to play well in Beijing.

A potential fourth-round against 13th seed Muchova or 18th seed Paula Badosa, herself a semi-finalist last year, will likely be the American’s toughest test in her mission to reach at least the last eight.

Prediction: Anisimova def Paolini

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Fourth Quarter

Projected Q/F: (8) Elena Rybakina vs (2) Coco Gauff

The final quarter will likely see all eyes on world No 3 and defending champion Gauff, with many intrigued to see how the American fares following a difficult summer with her serve.

It is hard to know what to expect from Gauff’s game, and her draw is not the easiest early on, though she has a strong record against 25th seed Leylah Fernandez — her projected round-three opponent.

However, she could then face a tricky fourth round against either 15th seed Belinda Bencic or 22nd seed Jelena Ostapenko, two women she has competitive head-to-heads against.

On paper, it should be eighth seed Rybakina awaiting in the last eight, though the Kazakh herself has not had an easy time on court throughout 2025.

Rybakina could have an early sighter against 32nd seed Iva Jovic, before a potential round-four clash against ninth seed Ekaterina Alexandrova, the recent Seoul runner-up and one of the most solid players of the year.

Prediction: Alexandrova def Bencic

Semi-final prediction

Swiatek def Andreeva

Anisimova def Alexandrova

Final prediction

Swiatek def Anisimova

Exclusive Interview: Mirra Andreeva gets huge Grand Slam prediction from Serena Williams’ ex-coach

The post WTA China Open predictions: Swiatek’s resurgence, Gauff’s title defence, Anisimova returns appeared first on Tennis365.

Nikola Pilic, a former Croatian tennis star and coach who left an indelible mark on the sport, has died at the age of 86.

According to reports in the Croatian media, Pilic passed away in the Croatian city of Rijeka on Tuesday September 23.

Pilic, who was born in the Croatian (then Yugoslavian) city of Split on 27 August 1939, played amateur tennis from 1960 and turned pro when the Open Era began in 1968

He won nine singles titles and was ranked as high as 12th in the ATP Rankings in 1973. His standout singles result was reaching the final of the 1973 French Open, which he lost to Ilie Nastase.

The Croatian also won six doubles titles, including the 1970 US Open, before retiring in 1978.

Pilic’s absence from a Davis Cup tie between Yugoslavia and New Zealand in May 1973 led to a suspension from the ILTF (now ITF), meaning he could not enter the 1973 Wimbledon Championships.

In protest against Pilic’s ban, 81 players formed the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and withdrew from that year’s edition of Wimbledon.

This remains the biggest protest in tennis history, and the ATP Tour has become the global governing body of men’s tennis.

Following his retirement, Pilic ran a tennis academy in Munich, where he mentored a host of players, including Novak Djokovic, Michael Stich, Goran Ivanisevic and Ernests Gulbis. He also coached Boris Becker.

In addition, Pilic achieved the remarkable feat of captaining three different countries to Davis Cup titles: Germany (1988, 1989 and 1993), Croatia (2005) and Serbia (2010).

Djokovic, who is considered by many to be the greatest tennis player in history, attended Pilic’s academy for four years starting in 1999.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion has credited the key role Pilic played in his development.

“Nikola is my tennis father. A mentor. A man who selflessly shared his knowledge and experience about tennis and life with me,” Djokovic was quoted as saying by Montenegrin news outlet Vijesti.

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“Niki’s lovely wife Mija and he welcomed me with open arms to their tennis academy in Germany and treated me like their own child.”

Pilic remained one of Djokovic’s biggest supporters and always took the opportunity to praise his former student when he spoke publicly.

In a 2024 interview with Novosti Rs, Pilic shared an anecdote about Djokovic from the Serb’s time at his academy.

“I once invited five players under the age of 15 to my office. I ask them what they want to achieve,” Pilic said.

“One says he would like to be a good tennis player, the other wants to play in the Bundesliga [tennis league]. And Novak said – I would like to be number one in the world!

“The other four laughed. I didn’t laugh. I didn’t know if it would be first, third, eleventh, or twenty-fourth, but, by all possible parameters, I knew it would be international class.”

Pilic added: “In the first few months, my wife Mija played an extremely large role.

“She felt he needed support. He was small, he came at the age of 13, and Serbia was bombed at that time in 1999.

“She said that Novak had clear eyes. She would say to me, ‘When he talks about tennis, he has sentences similar to yours.’

“He made a lot of progress, he was extremely focused. Every day he had 15 different ideas.”

READ NEXT: Novak Djokovic starts a new life with his family that could be part of his retirement plan

The post Novak Djokovic’s ‘tennis father’ Nikola Pilic dies at 86 – and he leaves a remarkable legacy appeared first on Tennis365.

The draw for the 2025 China Open men’s singles tournament is out, and five of the top 10 players in the ATP Rankings are set to star.

The draw for the ATP 500 event in Beijing features 32 players, with eight seeds and no byes. The eight seeded players are: Jannik Sinner (1), Alexander Zverev (2), Alex de Minaur (3), Lorenzo Musetti (4), Karen Khachanov (5), Andrey Rublev (6), Jakub Mensik (7) and Daniil Medvedev (8).

Carlos Alcaraz was the 2024 China Open champion, having beaten Sinner in last year’s final, but the Spaniard chose to play in Tokyo instead this year.

Sinner is competing for the first time since his defeat to Alcaraz in the US Open final — a result that saw his rival displace him as the world No 1.

The 24-year-old Italian will take on 2014 US Open winner Marin Cilic, who is currently ranked 59th, in the opening round.

The four-time major winner would then play either Chinese wildcard Zheng Zhizhen or a qualifier in the second round, while he is projected to meet world No 10 and fifth seed Khachanov in the quarter-finals.

If he reaches the semi-finals, Sinner could meet either de Minaur, the world No 8 and third seed, or Jakub Mensik, the world No 17 and eighth seed.

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The world No 2 could face any of Zverev, Musetti, Rublev or Medvedev in the final. Sinner is chasing a second title in Beijing after his triumph in 2023.

Zverev arrives in Beijing after losing both of his matches at the Laver Cup in San Francisco last week to de Minaur and Taylor Fritz. He was beaten by Felix Auger-Aliassime in the third round of the US Open in his last tour-level event.

The world No 3 will begin his campaign in China against world No 44 Lorenzo Sonego and would meet either Corentin Moutet or Tallon Griekspoor in the second round.

Kings in Beijing #ChinaOpen pic.twitter.com/KtOcq5IkgB

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) September 23, 2025

The German is projected to meet Medvedev — a former world No 1 and 2021 US Open winner currently ranked 18th amid a difficult season — in the last eight.

Zverev could then meet either fourth seed Musetti or sixth seed Rublev in the semi-finals. The 28-year-old is aiming to win his maiden China Open title.

China Open 2025 projected men’s singles quarter-finals

Jannik Sinner (1) vs Karen Khachanov (5)

Alex de Minaur (3) vs Jakub Mensik (7)

Lorenzo Musetti (4) vs Andrey Rublev (6)

Alexander Zverev (2) vs Daniil Medvedev (8)

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The post ATP China Open Draw: Jannik Sinner learns his path as Alexander Zverev on course to play his nemesis appeared first on Tennis365.

Legendary tennis coach Rick Macci has identified a quality that sets Mirra Andreeva apart as he made a claim about how many Grand Slam titles the teenage star will win in her career.

Andreeva, who celebrated her 18th birthday in April, has already reached lofty heights since turning pro in 2022 and has been at a career-high ranking of world No 5 since July.

The Russian has won three singles titles, having lifted her maiden title at the WTA 250 event in Iasi in 2024 and secured back-to-back WTA 1000 events in Dubai and Indian Wells earlier this season.

Andreeva’s best Grand Slam result to date was reaching the semi-finals at the 2024 French Open, while she was a quarter-finalist at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon this summer.

In an exclusive interview Tennis365, Macci did not hesitate to name Andreeva when asked who he expects to challenge the top WTA trio of Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff.

“No doubt about it, the new sheriff in town: Mirra Andreeva. She’s one of the best young prospects I’ve seen in a long time,” the American said.

“And the reason why: mentally, she is cut from a different cloth, she’s a brutal, brutal competitor. She’s more mature now. But what she does a little bit different, she changes direction of the ball very early in the point.

“And we all know there’s a fine line between courage and stupidity. At the end of the day, this is what she does and she gets you out of your comfort zone. So that’s number one and she does that with conviction and with confidence.

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“And people gotta take a step back and understand, she’s only 18 and she’s five in the world. So I see greatness, and the thing about her game, once she gets into that number one category — one, two [in the rankings] — she’s not going anywhere, because she has too much competitiveness.

“She’s actually a very good mover, even though it was a little shaky on the clay and it took her a while to get going on the grass – I’m not worried about that.

“And let’s face it, most of the tournaments are on hard-court. But Mirra Andreeva’s the real deal and I think her future is as bright as anybody. A double digit Grand Slam winner.”

Macci continued: “I called this a couple of years ago, I knew where this was going. She (Andreeva) is gonna be number one.

“I think on hard courts, her movement is 20 to 25% better than on clay. I think she gets in and out of the corners better on the hard-court, and she uses the forehand slice.

“And I know a lot of coaches don’t like the kids or people to do that, but listen, the game is very different than even six years ago, 10 years ago.

“The game is so much faster and quicker, the ball speed, movement’s a premium, stroke mechanics is at an all-time high and you gotta have the forehand slice!

“I counted one match against Sabalenka, she did it over 30 times when she was out wide to live another day. She resets the point, but what she does different, she’s resetting the point low. She’s hitting the ball back with underspin.

“When you keep it out of the strike zone… so here’s Andreeva, that’s a part of her toolbox, that’s a part of her playbook, she chips the ball and keeps it in play where a lot of people reset it with topspin — and I’m not saying that’s wrong — but the people can step up and drive it from the shoulder. So when you keep it low, she lives another day.

“So that’s one piece that I love about her game. And she’ll throw in the drop shot, a lob and she’ll throw in the backhand slice and she’s not afraid to volley and take the ball out of the air.”

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The post Mirra Andreeva gets huge Grand Slam prediction from Serena Williams’ ex-coach appeared first on Tennis365.

The draw for the 2025 Japan Open men’s singles tournament has been made, and Carlos Alcaraz and Taylor Fritz could be set for a rematch after their Laver Cup clash.

There are 32 players in the draw at the ATP 500 event in Tokyo, with eight seeds and no byes. The seeds are: Alcaraz (1), Fritz (2), Holger Rune (3), Casper Ruud (4), Tomas Machac (5), Ugo Humbert (6), Denis Shapovalov (7) and Frances Tiafoe (8).

Arthur Fils was the 2024 Japan Open champion, but he was forced to withdraw from the event due to a back injury. Jack Draper, Ben Shelton, Jiri Lehecka and Alexei Popyrin also pulled out having entered.

Alcaraz won the China Open in the same week of the calendar last year, but he chose to play in Tokyo instead of Beijing this week.

The world No 1 competed at the Laver Cup last week, posting a 1-1 record in singles and a 2-0 record in doubles as Team Europe lost 9-15 to Team World. Prior to that, the Spanish star claimed his sixth Grand Slam title at the US Open.

Alcaraz, who is making his debut in Japan, will take on world No 41 Sebastian Baez — against whom he holds a 2-0 record — in the opening round.

The world No 1 is then due to face either Zizou Bergs or Alejandro Tabilo in the second round, before a potential last eight meeting with eighth seed Tiafoe. Ruud and Shapovalov are the two seeded players Alcaraz could face in the semi-finals in Tokyo.

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If he reaches the championship match, Alcaraz could take on any of Fritz, Rune, Machac and Humbert — all of whom are in the bottom half of the draw.

Fritz inspired Team World to victory at the Laver Cup by collecting five points for his two singles wins against Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev.

The American will start his Tokyo campaign against Gabriel Diallo and faces a potential second round showdown with Yosuke Watanuki or Nuno Borges, before a possible quarter-final matchup against No 5 seed Tomas Machac.

The world No 5 is projected to meet either third seed Rune or sixth seed Humbert in the last four.

Tokyo’s time to shine

The 2025 @japanopentennis singles draw

Who’s making it to the final? pic.twitter.com/wQvHETIwHV

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) September 22, 2025

Japan Open 2025 projected men’s singles quarter-finals

Carlos Alcaraz (1) vs Frances Tiafoe (8)

Casper Ruud (4) vs Denis Shapovalov (7)

Holger Rune (3) vs Ugo Humbert (6)

Taylor Fritz (2) vs Tomas Machac (5)

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The post ATP Japan Open Draw: Carlos Alcaraz and Taylor Fritz on collision course after Laver Cup clash appeared first on Tennis365.

A stunning Korea Open triumph has seen Iga Swiatek gain ground on world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka as the Pole looks to return to the top of the WTA Rankings this Autumn.

World No 2 Swiatek sealed her third title of 2025 — all within the last three months — in Seoul on Sunday, battling back to down Ekaterina Alexandrova in a three-set thriller and claiming the 25th WTA Tour title of her career.

It was Swiatek’s debut appearance at the Korea Open, having been forced out of the WTA 500 event a year ago due to a provisional suspension, and she has gained a full complement of 500 ranking points as a result.

That sees the 24-year-old move from 7,933 to 8,433 points in the ranking, increasing her cushion over world No 3 Coco Gauff in the WTA Rankings.

However, it also sees her draw closer to world No 1 Sabalenka, who was not in action this week — and will also not be competing at the upcoming China Open in Beijing.

Sabalenka still holds a significant lead in the WTA Rankings for now, with 11,225 points to her name, though she has 1,615 points to defend for the rest of the season, compared to just 400 for Swiatek.

A 500-point gain in Seoul has moved Swiatek narrowly closer, though she can make significant ground in Beijing this week, where she will look to regain the title she previously won in 2023.

There has been no movement inside the top 10 of the WTA Rankings this week, though there have been some shifts further down.

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Failing to defend her Korea Open finalist points from 2024 amid a disappointing year to date, Daria Kasatkina has dropped from 16th to 20th in the rankings, pushing Belinda Bencic, Emma Navarro, and Paula Badosa up.

Defending Korea Open champion Beatriz Haddad Maia was beaten in the second round of the tournament this past week, and as a result, falls 15 places to world No 40.

That has worked to the advantage of Emma Raducanu, who has moved up to one place to world No 32, her highest ranking in over four years.

On paper, that will be enough for the British star to be seeded at the Australian Open next January — her big rankings goal for the remainder of the season — and she will hope to consolidate her position over the coming weeks.

Above Raducanu, Leylah Fernandez has moved up three places to world No 25, while Sofia Kenin has risen four places to world No 26.

Barbora Krejcikova, the woman who beat Raducanu in Seoul this week, is up five places to world No 34 after her run to the last eight at the WTA 500 event, continuing her recent resurgence after dropping down significantly post-Wimbledon.

Elsewhere, Korea Open semi-finalist Maya Joint has sealed an impressive new career-high ranking, surging 10 spots to world No 36 thanks to her impressive run, while fellow semi-finalist Katerina Siniakova moves up 15 places to world No 62.

French star Lois Boisson is also up eight places to a new career high of world No 41, while rising star Ella Seidel seals her top 100 debut, moving up 10 spots to world No 95.

WTA Top 20 (September 22, 2025)

1) Aryna Sabalenka, 11,225
2) Iga Swiatek, 8,433
3) Coco Gauff, 7,873
4) Amanda Anisimova, 5,109
5) Mirra Andreeva, 4,793
6) Madison Keys, 4,579
7) Jessica Pegula, 4,383
8) Jasmine Paolini, 4,006
9) Zheng Qinwen, 4,003
10) Elena Rybakina, 3,833
11) Ekaterina Alexandrova, 3,253
12) Clara Tauson, 2,775
13) Elina Svitolina, 2,606
14) Naomi Osaka, 2,489
15) Karolina Muchova, 2,488
16) Belinda Bencic, 2,334 (+1)
17) Emma Navarro, 2,310 (+1)
18) Paula Badosa, 2,195 (+2)
19) Diana Shnaider, 2,111
20) Daria Kasatkina, 2,106 (-4)

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