Elena Rybakina has overtaken Aryna Sabalenka in the Race to the WTA Finals after her victory in Stuttgart, while Mirra Andreeva and Iga Swiatek are also on the rise.
World No 2 Rybakina defeated 11th-ranked Karolina Muchova 7-5, 6-1 in the Stuttgart final to secure her second title at the WTA 500 tournament played on indoor clay.
The Kazakh, who is the reigning Australian Open champion, also overcame Andreeva, Leylah Fernandez and Diana Shnaider during her run in Germany.
This week, attention has turned to the Madrid Open — the first clay-court WTA 1000 tournament of the season. Main draw action in the Spanish capital will take place from 21 April to 2 May.
What is the WTA Race to Riyadh?
The eight women who earn the most ranking points in the 2026 season will qualify for the season-ending WTA Finals, which will be staged in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from 7 to 14 November.
If a current-year Grand Slam champion finishes between ninth and 20th in the Race, they will take the eighth and final qualification spot.
The prestigious tournament, which was first held in 1972, is played on indoor hard-court at the King Saud University Indoor Arena.
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Rybakina is the reigning WTA Finals champion, having claimed a record-breaking $5,235,000 for winning the 2025 edition of the event.
The players who finish ninth and 10th will travel to Saudi Arabia as alternates and have the chance to take the place of any players who withdraw.
The latest Race to Riyadh rankings
Rybakina collected 500 WTA ranking points for her triumph in Stuttgart, which lifted her total in the Race to 3,983 points.
This has seen Rybakina move 183 points clear of Sabalenka — who was due to play in Stuttgart, but pulled out before the event.
Jessica Pegula did not play last week, and she remains in third position with 2,905 points.
Elina Svitolina is still fourth in the Race after increasing her points total to 2,450 with a quarter-final run in Stuttgart.
Muchova took her tally to 2,270 points after her runner-up result, and she still occupies the No 5 spot.
Andreeva has climbed a position for the second straight week after her Stuttgart semi-final result took her to 2,063 points and moved her above Victoria Mboko into sixth. Mboko is still on 1,927 as she did not compete last week.
Coco Gauff remains in eighth place, but she has moved onto 1,803 points after she made the last eight in Germany.
Live WTA Race to Riyadh (as of 21 April)
1) Elena Rybakina – 3,983 (+1)
2) Aryna Sabalenka – 3,800 (-1)
3) Jessica Pegula – 2,905
4) Elina Svitolina – 2,450
5) Karolina Muchova – 2,270
6) Mirra Andreeva – 2,063 (+1)
7) Victoria Mboko – 1,927 (-1)
8) Coco Gauff – 1,803
Cutoff
9) Belinda Bencic – 1,187
10) Amanda Anisimova –1,130
11) Iga Swiatek – 1,128 (+1)
12) Iva Jovic – 1,111 (-1)
13) Sorana Cirstea – 970
14) Linda Noskova – 828 (+5)
15) Jelena Ostapenko – 826 (-1)
Swiatek reached the quarter-finals in Stuttgart, and she has moved above Iva Jovic to 11th in the Race.
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