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Felix Auger-Aliassime’s decision to withdraw from the Moselle Open has put him at risk of being overtaken by Lorenzo Musetti in the ATP Rankings Race To Turin, but he may have taken a strategic decision.

The Canadian pushed himself into contention by reaching the semi-final of the US Open, and the quarter-finals at the Shanghai Masters and the Swiss Indoors before moving into a qualification spot by finishing runner-up at the Paris Masters.

Auger-Aliassime’s run to the final helped him to overtake Musetti in the ATP Rankings Race To Turin with the top eight qualifying, but the battle between the two was down to go down to the wire as they separated by just 160 points.

The world No 8 was due to be in action in Metz this week while Musetti has signed up for the Hellenic Championships, but the 25-year-old is one of three seeded playerse to withdraw from the ATP 250 event in France as Daniil Medvedev (No 2) and Tallon Griekspoor (No 5) have also pulled out.

“I won’t be going,” said. “I’ve been struggling with a lot of physical issues this week. I’m not going to make the same mistakes I made in the past. My physical condition and health are really my priority, above qualifying.”

He added: “If I qualify, great. If not, Lorenzo will deserve his place.”

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Although Auger-Aliassime is quite relaxed about potentially missing out, he could still play at the season-ending tournament in Turin even if he finishes ninth in the Race.

That is because seven-time ATP Finals champion Novak Djokovic could withdraw from the event.

The tennis great was the third player to secure his ticket to the event at the Inalpi Arena after Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, but he has made it clear that the ATP Finals is no longer his top priority.

After winning back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023, Djokovic also qualified for last year’s edition, but withdrew from the event and he has so far given no indication that he will feature in Turin.

If Djokovic does indeed withdraw, it will mean both Auger-Aliassime and Musetti will play in Turin.

Musetti, though, faces an uphill task to overtake his rival as he needs to reach at least the final of the Greek event to overtake Auger-Aliassime and qualify outright for the ATP Finals for the first time in his career.

Don’t be too surprised if Musetti also withdraws from the Hellenic Championships in the coming days to start preparing for the ATP Finals.

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The WTA Rankings for the last week of the regular 2025 WTA Tour season have been confirmed, and rising stars Victoria Mboko and Alex Eala have hit new career highs.

The Hong Kong Open, Chennai Open and Jiangxi Open were the final three events of the season with only the WTA Finals in Riyahd left where the top eight players in the world are competing for the biggest prize cheque in women’s tennis.

Thus, world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Amanda Anisimova, Jessica Pegula, Elena Rybakina, Madison Keys and Jasmine Paolini did not play last week and their positions and points in the rankings remain unchanged.

Sabalenka was confirmed as the year-end No 1 and she has now topped the rankings for 54 consecutive weeks to take her overall tally to 63. She will stay there for at least another nine weeks, which will see her move up to 11th on the all-time list, surpassing Caroline Wozniacki (72) with Lindsay Davenport in 10th on 98.

Swiatek will remain second while Gauff could still lose third and the American No 1 ranking to Anisimova or Pegula, although the latter would have to win the WTA Finals undefeated.

There is only one change in the top 20 with teenager Mboko making her bow as she is up three places to No 18 following her title run in Hong Kong, beating Cristina Bucsa in the final to win her second WTA singles trophy following her Canadian Open title in August.

Mboko – who started the year at No 333 – also secured the Canadian year-end No 1 ranking ahead of Leylah Fernandez, a player she beat in the semi-final.

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The 19-year-old also defeated Eala in the second round, but the Filipina’s first-round win was enough for her to break into the top 50 for the first time, coming in at exactly No 50. The 20-year-old Eala started the year at No 138, but broke into the top 100 on the back of her run to the Miami Open semi-final.

The other players to reach new career-highs in the top 100 are: Lois Boisson (36), Eva Lys (40), Janice Tjen (53), Bucsa (54), Sara Bejlek (75) and Oksana Selekhmeteva (96).

Tjen was the other title winner last week as she defeated Kimberly Birrell in the final in Chennai to win her maiden WTA singles trophy.

The Indonesian, who finished runner-up at the SP Open in Brazil in September, was at No 411 in January, but now finds herself on the cusp of the top 50 while Birrell is up 23 spots to No 94.

Former world No 34 Anna Blinkova was the third title winner as she tasted success at the Jiangxi and her reward is a 32-place jump to No 63.

Former world No 23 Katie Boulter was the biggest dropper as she is now on the verge of exiting the top 100 after slipping 21 places to No 100 following her retirement from her first-round match in Hong Kong.

Having been in a tight battle for the British No 1 ranking with Emma Raducanu and Sonay Kartal earlier this year, Boulter is now the British No 4. Raducanu is the leading player from Great Britain as she sits at No 29, followed by Kartal (71), Francesco Jones (76) and Boulter.

WTA Rankings Top 20

1. Aryna Sabalenka – 9,870 points
2. Iga Swiatek Poland – 8,195
3. Coco Gauff United States – 6,563
4. Amanda Anisimova United States – 5,887
5. Jessica Pegula United States – 5,183
6. Elena Rybakina Kazakhstan – 4,350
7. Madison Keys United States – 4,335
8. Jasmine Paolini Italy – 4,325
9. Mirra Andreeva – 4,325
10. Ekaterina Alexandrova – 3,375
11. Belinda Bencic Switzerland – 3,168
12. Clara Tauson Denmark – 2,770
13. Linda Noskova Czech Republic – 2,641
14. Elina Svitolina Ukraine – 2,595
15. Emma Navarro United States – 2,515
16. Naomi Osaka Japan – 2,487
17. Luidmila Sansonova – 2,209
18. Victoria Mboko Canada – 2,157 (+3)
19. Karolina Muchova Czech Republic – 1,996
20. Elise Mertens Belgium – 1,969

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Jannik Sinner is the Paris Masters champion for the first time, with the Italian defeating Felix Auger-Aliassime to triumph inside the La Defense Arena.

There were physical concerns for Sinner earlier in the week, but the 24-year-old ultimately produced an impressive run to his fifth title of 2025, beating his Canadian rival 6-4, 7-6(4).

Here, we look at the prize money and ranking points that Sinner, Auger-Aliassime, and their ATP contemporaries will receive for their efforts at the event.

What ranking points were on offer?

For lifting the title, Sinner picked up a staggering 1,000 points from the final Masters 1000 event of 2025.

Having missed the event in 2024 due to injury, that moves the Italian up from 10,500 to 11,500 ranking points — enough to see him move back above Carlos Alcaraz as the world No 1.

A runner-up finish earns Auger-Aliassime 650 points, moving the Canadian up to eighth in both Monday’s official ATP Rankings, and in the ATP Race to Turin.

Having exited the tournament at the semi-final stage, both Alexander Zverev and Alexander Bublik earn 400 points.

Zverev entered the tournament as the defending champion, meaning he will drop 600 points to 5,560 points on Monday, though Bublik is set to rise three places to a new career-high of world No 13.

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Wildcard Valentin Vacherot, sixth seed Alex de Minaur, 11th seed Daniil Medvedev, and fifth seed Ben Shelton all exited at the quarter-final stage, and pick up 200 points as a result.

Players beaten in the third round will take home 100 points, with 50 points on offer for those who reached the second round, and just 10 points on offer in round one.

However, having received byes in the opening round, top seed Alcaraz, seventh seed Lorenzo Musetti, and eighth seed Casper Ruud all receive just 10 points for their second-round defeats.

Champion: 1,000
Runner-up: 650
Semi-finalists: 400
Quarter-finalists: 200
Round 3: 100
Round 2: 50
Round 1: 10

What prize money was on offer?

The final Masters 1000 event of the season saw significant prize money at stake, with Sinner taking home a paycheck of €946,610 for his efforts inside the La Defense Arena.

And, Auger-Aliassime is also well-rewarded after reaching the second Masters 1000 final of his career, with the Canadian receiving €516,925 for his efforts.

Semi-finalists Zverev and Bublik take home €282,650 in prize money for reaching the last four, while quarter-finalists Vacherot, de Minaur, Medvedev, and Shelton all earn €154,170.

Players eliminated in the third round will receive €82,465, while those eliminated in round two will earn €44,220, and those eliminated in round one will receive €24,500.

Champion: €946,610
Runner-up: €516,925
Semi-finalists: €282,650
Quarter-finalists: €154,170
Round 3: €82,465
Round 2: €44,220
Round 1: €24,500

Read Next: Ranking points and prize money earned by Victoria Mboko and Cristian Bucsa after Hong Kong Open final

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Victoria Mboko’s promising young career has continued with her first WTA 250 title as she defeated Cristian Bucsa 7-5, 6-7, 6-2 in Hong Kong.

Having won the opening set, Mboko looked to be on her way to a straight-sets victory over Bucsa but the Spaniard fought back to draw both players level.

However, Mboko powered through the deciding set to move into the top 20 for the first time in her career.

The title comes as part of a remarkable year for the teenager which included a shock win over Coco Gauff in Montreal.

The youngster started the year at No 333 but at the beginning of March she broke into the top 200 after winning five ITF singles titles. A run to the third round of the French Open saw her crack the top 100 for the first time.

That rise continued in August when she broke into the top 30 after winning the Canadian Open as a wildcard. Along the way, she claimed the impressive scalps of Gauff and Naomi Osaka.

That put her to a career-high of No.24 as she became the top-ranked Canadian. A slight dip in form at the US Open and the two WTA 1000 events in China was ended with her run in Hong Kong.

WTA Ranking Points Earned In Hong Kong

Mboko’s run has seen her add 244 points to her tally which has taken her up to 18th in the rankings, a career high for the Canadian.

In doing so, she has moved up three spots past Karolina Muchova, Elise Mertens and Diana Shnaider having started the year ranked world No.333.

Bucsa has also moved to a career-high spot of 32 following her impressive run in the tournament. The 133 points she earned saw her rise 15 spots and she is now the third-highest-ranked Spaniard.

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Prize Money Earned At WTA 250 Event

As well as ranking points, Mboko has earned some more prize money with $36,300 being given to the champion. That sees her overall prize money tally rise to $1,506,598.

For Bucsa, she earned $21,484 for finishing runner-up which puts the 27-year-old’s tally at $4,097,012.

Read next: Aryna Sabalenka reveals ‘best lesson’ she learned from Novak Djokovic as off-court friendship continues

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Jannik Sinner’s Paris Masters final opponent Felix Auger-Aliassime said the Italian is “not invincible” as he looks to pull off an upset.

The Canadian is all that stands in the way of Sinner and a fifth ATP 1000 title, but the Italian is a heavy favourite going into the match, despite both players being on two wins in their overall head-to-head.

They last faced each other at the US Open, with Sinner winning three sets to one, and while Auger-Aliassime admitted that and a crushing 6-0, 6-2 defeat in Cincinnati were in his mind, he maintained that Sinner was beatable.

“Especially in Cincinnati, the defeat was very tough,” Auger-Aliassime recalled. “I was far from beating him. So at the US Open, he was much better.

“At one point, I saw him hesitate. And in fact, at one point, I almost managed to turn the tide and turn the match around in my favour.

“For various reasons, perhaps he had a dip in form, and the match took an unexpected turn. But it was encouraging to see him.

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“Sinner isn’t invincible. He’s very strong, yes. Sometimes he’s unstoppable, but he’s not invincible.”

While the record may be two a piece, Sinner has won the last two meetings but Auger-Aliassime was looking forward to the tactical challenge of facing the former world no.1.

“We’re 2-2, but it’s not like — you know, obviously he’s the favourite on paper, because we played a good match I think in New York. I think it was good tennis. But he still got the best of me.

“Obviously the first times I won it was before he was Jannik, you know. It was, like, young Jannik. He improved a lot since then.

“But it’s always good to play him. I feel like he pushes players to be very, very disciplined tactically and to execute their game, you know, almost perfectly in order to win.

“You know, you have to be ready to play your best tennis and to not make cheap mistakes. So I’m going to try to do that and win tomorrow.

“I don’t want to look ahead too much, but I’m watching tennis. I see everything that’s happening, the players, the momentum of everyone. Jannik and Carlos are indeed at a very high level. There are also players who have shown a consistent level like Fritz, for instance. They’ve shown a lot of consistency.

“I have a lot of work to do on that field, but for some months now I can see that I’m reaching the right level, that I’m actually controlling my game. You know, when I compare that period in 2022, when I won 16 matches in a row, that was actually a wonderful period, but that helped me to learn from that period, as well. These are the two important phases of my career, then and now.”

Read next: What Jannik Sinner’s Paris Masters demolition of Alexander Zverev means for his world No 1 bid

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Aryna Sabalenka has spoken of the “best lesson” she has learned from Novak Djokovic as the two of them continue to spend plenty of time together.

The friendship between the pair appears to be one of the best on the tour with them regularly practicing together but also seen going for double dates with their respective partners.

When asked about her friendship with the 24-time Slam champion, Sabalenka said being able to have a wider perspective was the “best lesson” she had learned from Djokovic.

“How to stay settled and how to look at everything as you’re looking from the outside on the situation on the court, off the court,” she said. “Just to, like, be able to sit back and look at everything.

“Kind of like it’s not you looking, it’s someone else looking at your situation.

“I think that’s the best lesson that you could take from Novak.”

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That ability to take a step back and analyse things with a clear head would have come in handy in what has sometimes been a challenging season for the world No.1.

Before the US Open, Sabalenka had failed to add to her Grand Slam tally and admitted it was “tough” to fall so close to the prize each time.

“I mean, it was tough. It was really tough. It was tough lessons. But at the end I think it was much-needed lessons. I had to learn how to control myself even better,” the 27-year-old said.

“Even though I improved a lot in that part of the game, still, you know, not good enough. I think in those big finals, that’s one thing that was missing, was my emotions.

“I think especially after Roland Garros and the media and everything that happened after the match, I just had to sit back and look at everything from the side, yeah, and take better control over my emotions.

“After winning US Open, I was actually quite grateful for those lessons.”

Her final challenge of the year is to try and win the WTA Finals for the first time in her career. Her only final appearance came in 2022 while she has reached the semi-finals in the previous two years.

Sabalenka said she prepared for the season finale as if it were another Grand Slam.

“There is no difference in my preparation. It’s also one of the biggest tournaments. I have a little time between the last tournament I played and Riyadh. I had few days off, then I was back on court practicing. Yeah, it’s the biggest tournament of the year. My preparation is the same way here as to the Grand Slams.

“It’s been pretty intense. I really hope I can play well here.”

Sabalenka will begin her tournament against No.8 seed Jasmine Paolini on Sunday.

Read next: What Jannik Sinner’s Paris Masters demolition of Alexander Zverev means for his world No 1 bid

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Coco Gauff has said men’s tennis would be ‘more exciting’ if a third player broke into the Carlos Alcaraz/Jannik Sinner dominance.

While in the women’s, the last four Grand Slams have been won by four different players, in the men’s it is not such a balanced story with either Sinner or Alcaraz having won every title since Novak Djokovic’s US Open victory in 2023.

And while it has led to one of the early signs of one of the all-time great tennis rivalries, it does sometimes feel like the preceding rounds are just processional before a Sinner-Alcaraz final takes place.

On the subject, Gauff, who won the French Open this season, said it would be more exciting if a third name was able to break through.

“It’s honestly great to have four different champions, because I feel like all the girls have had a competitive year,” she said in Riyadh ahead of the WTA Finals.

“And I think that it makes the sport more exciting when there’s multiple chances for something to happen.

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“Although Carlos and Jannik are doing great, there’s talk about there needing to be a third person and I feel like to make it more interesting, it’s better to have different champions than the same two.

“I don’t want to downplay anything, the rivalry they have is great and exciting for the sport too. But long term, I think it’s more exciting for me as a fan, watching the semis and the quarters not knowing who is going to win, whereas knowing who’s going to win… but that just shows how great they are.”

Gauff is aiming to retain her WTA Finals crown and starts her campaign with a group stage match against fellow American Jessica Pegula on Sunday.

The pair have faced each other seven times in the past with Pegula winning four of them, and Gauff said it was always tricky facing her countrywoman.

“It’s always tricky playing her, but especially since we played so recently I think that she’s going to know what to expect, and vice versa.

“The things that I necessarily probably did really well in that match that got me that win may not work in this match because she probably could recognise those things as well, capitalise off of it.

“Yeah, I think it’s one of those matches that you have your game plan, but you have to be able to adjust because she might know my game plan already.”

Read next: What Iga Swiatek said after extending stellar streak with Madison Keys WTA Finals hammering

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In the first semi-final at the 2025 Paris Masters, Felix Auger-Aliassime delivered a stellar performance to beat Alexander Bublik in straight sets.

Auger-Aliassime earned a 7-6(3), 6-4 victory against world No 16 Bublik to progress to his maiden Paris Masters final and second career Masters 1000 title match.

The result has seen Auger-Aliassime make a big jump in the Race to the ATP Finals in Turin, and it has ended Bublik’s hopes of qualifying for the season-ending event.

Felix Auger-Aliassime makes major ATP Finals move as he reaches Paris Masters final

• Felix Auger-Aliassime is now in a strong position to qualify for the ATP Finals as he has overtaken Lorenzo Musetti in the Race to Turin
• Alexander Bublik can no longer qualify for the ATP Finals as he needed to win the Paris Masters
• Auger-Aliassime sent a confident message ahead of the final in Paris

Neither player faced a break point in a serve-dominated and high-quality opening set, with Auger-Aliassime claiming two mini-breaks to take the tiebreak.

Auger-Aliassime’s lofty level dropped in the early stages of the second set as he was broken by Bublik in his opening two service games.

After trailing 1-4, though, Auger-Aliassime won five straight games to seal the win, having broken the big-serving Bublik three times in the set.

How has Auger-Aliassime’s win against Bublik affected the Race to Turin?

Auger-Aliassime’s triumph over Bublik has moved him above Lorenzo Musetti into the eighth and final qualification spot for the ATP Finals.

The Canadian’s run to the final in Paris has earned him 650 points, putting him on 3,845 points in the Race to Turin rankings.

Lorenzo Musetti, who started the week in the No 8 spot, is now 160 points adrift of Auger-Aliassime.

Auger-Aliassime’s qualification for the ATP Finals is not yet assured as Musetti will play at the ATP 250 in Athens next week.

If Auger-Aliassime wins the Paris title, though, he will move onto 4,195 points — a total that will guarantee his spot in Turin as Musetti would not be able to earn enough points to overtake him.

Winning the Paris title would lift Auger-Aliassime above Ben Shelton, Taylor Fritz and Alex de Minaur into fifth position in the Race.

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Bublik, who is 11th in the Race to Turin, needed to win the Paris Masters to keep his hopes of qualifying for the ATP Finals alive. His semi-final elimination, though, has mathematically ruled him out.

The Russian-born Kazakh may still have the chance to feature in Turin as an alternate.

What did Auger-Aliassime say after reaching the final?

Auger-Aliassime will face either Jannik Sinner or Alexander Zverev in the Paris final as he aims to win the biggest title of his career.

In an interview with Tennis TV, Auger-Aliassime was asked how happy he was with the way he imposed his game and character on the match.

“Yeah, I’m so happy, and a Masters 1000 final sounds so good. You don’t play those finals every week, so hopefully I can go all the way and get the title,” the 25-year-old said.

“These are the matches you train for and play for. It’s always great to play these guys, to see how my game matches with them. I’ve been playing tennis for a long time, training all this year to improve, and I’ve made some great improvements.

“And now tomorrow, I have a chance to showcase it in front of everyone, so I’m gonna wake up ready. With these guys, you have to be so sharp, tactically disciplined. They don’t give you anything, so you have to be ready to play your A-game.”

READ NEXT: Why it is ‘difficult to draw any conclusions’ about Jannik Sinner’s Paris Masters level: Ex-ATP star

The post How Felix Auger-Aliassime’s Paris Masters win over Alexander Bublik affects ATP Finals Race appeared first on Tennis365.

Former ATP player Nicolas Escude has admitted he has struggled to make sense of Jannik Sinner’s physical struggles at the 2025 Paris Masters.

Sinner has overcome Zizou Bergs, Francisco Cerdundolo and Ben Shelton without dropping a set to reach his maiden semi-final at the prestigious indoor event.

The world No 2 is vying to win his fifth career ATP Masters 1000 title and his first of the 2025 campaign, having claimed his most recent title at this level at the 2024 Shanghai Masters.

Jannik Sinner’s Paris Masters fitness assessed

• Jannik Sinner has reached the Paris Masters semi-finals in convincing fashion, but there were moments of physical concern in his third round and quarter-final matches
• Nicolas Escude, a tennis analyst and former world No 17, thinks it is “difficult to draw any conclusions” about Sinner’s “true level of play” in Paris given the Italian’s physical issues
• The Frenchman has noticed that Sinner’s coaching team have been “pushing him more than usual” in Paris

Sinner looked to be in discomfort for spells during his 7-5, 6-1 third round win against Cerundolo in Paris, raising concerns over his fitness.

The 24-year-old stretched out his right leg, and his movement between points looked laboured at times — particularly in the first set.

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The four-time Grand Slam champion was then troubled in the early stages of his quarter-final victory over Shelton as he grimaced and appeared to limp between points.

This did not last long, though, and Sinner delivered a high-quality performance to prevail 6-3, 6-3 against the world No 7.

Escude’s verdict on Sinner’s fitness

Speaking in his role as an analyst for Eurosport France, Escude weighed in on Sinner’s physical state.

“We don’t really know what to make of it. He seems a bit unsteady,” said Escude (translated from French).

“Without going so far as to say he’s limping, but we see him stretching and grimacing after some rallies.

“But the result is there. He still hasn’t lost a set, but it’s difficult to draw any conclusions about Sinner’s true level of play. What impact does his physical condition have on his game? It’s hard to tell.

“His stable (team) is pushing him a lot, especially Daren Cahill, more than usual.”

What next for Sinner?

Sinner will face world No 3 Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals of the Paris Masters in a rematch of last week’s Vienna Open final, which he won 3-6, 6-3, 7-5.

READ NEXT: Hellenic Championship draw: Djokovic the favourite as Musetti makes late-gasp ATP Finals bid

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Victoria Mboko started the 2025 season more than 300 places behind Leylah Fernandez in the WTA Rankings, but she will finish the campaign ahead of her fellow Canadian as she proved why she is the rising star of women’s tennis.

The 19-year-old Mboko and Fernandez faced each other for the first time on the WTA Tour when they met in the semi-final of the Hong Kong Open and it was the teenager who came out victorious.

2021 US Open runner-up Fernandez dominated early on as she won the opening set, but Mboko hit back to secure a 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory to reach her second final of the year following her title run at the Canadian Open in August.

She will face first-time WTA finalist Cristiana Busca in the showpiece match after the Spaniard defeated Maya Joint 6-3, 6-1.

Mboko had already secured the Canadian No 1 year-end ranking before the match, but her victory shows once again just how meteoric her rise has been in 2025.

The youngster started the year at No 333 while Fernandez was at No 31 on January 6, but at the beginning of March she broke into the top 200 after winning five ITF singles titles. Top 200 became the top 100 on the back of her run to the third round of the French Open.

In August, she not only made her top 50 bow, but also her top 30 debut after winning the Canadian Open as a wildcard, defeating four Grand Slams winners – including former world No 1 Naomi Osaka and reigning French Open champion Coco Gauff – en route to the title.

With that win she peaked at No 24 and moved ahead of Fernandez in the battle to be the Canadian No 1, a title she never relinquished.

After a dip in form at the US Open and the two WTA 1000 events in China, she returned to form in Hong Kong.

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Mboko broke into the top 20 after her opening win at the Hong Kong Open and her run to the semi-final meant she was assured of staying ahead of Fernandez with the WTA 250 event their last tournament of the 2025 calendar.

With her latest win, Mboko is at No 18 in the Live Rankings and sits on 2,070 points while Fernandez finishes her campaign at No 22 on 1,821 points.

But 18th place is the ceiling for Mboko – at least for this year – as she will remaing behind 17th place Ludmilla Samsonova in the rankings even if she wins the title as she will move to 2,157 points with the Russian on 2,209.

With no ranking points to defend at the Australian Open next year, she will no doubt be eyeing an even bigger milestone early in the new year.

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