The tennis rankings do not always reflect form in the current game, with the rolling data for 2026 offering an intriguing insight into what may be a more realistic view on the current form in the women’s and men’s game.
The WTA and ATP Tour rankings are calculated over a 52-week rolling period, yet results from this time last year are not always relevant to what we are seeing on court now.
So the statistics that focus solely on this year may be a more accurate reflection of where players are ranking and the news is looking pretty bleak for British No 1 Emma Raducanu.
The 2021 US Open champion has won just 11 matches across the entirety of this year, with injuries and the ‘ongoing effects of a virus’ keeping her off court for long periods.
The WTA Rankings suggest Raducanu is still the 38th best tennis player in the women’s game, but the rankings for 2026 alone have her at No 54.
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Raducanu is currently out with a stress fracture in her foot and while medical experts have predicted she may have a chance to return to play at next month’s US Open, her medical history suggests a quick return may not be realistic.
If Raducanu did miss all of the US Open warm-up events and then the final Grand Slam of the year, she would be in danger of sliding out of the top 50 of the WTA Rankings and that would impact her hopes of playing in elite-level events.
At the other end of the spectrum, Mirra Andreeva’s ranking for 2026 confirms she is the form player of the year.
Andreeva may have been disappointed with her early exit at Wimbledon, but her French Open win a few weeks before was a breakthrough moment for the teenager and it propelled her to the top of the rankings for this calendar year.
World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka has suffered some big setbacks in recent weeks, but she is still at No 2 in the rankings for this year, with Elena Rybakina in third spot ahead of Karolina Muchova and new Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova is at No 7.
Alex Eala from the Philippines is at No 25 in the WTA rankings for this year, which is a snapshot reflection of her fine form on grass courts in recent weeks. She is at No 28 in the WTA Rankings.
In the men’s game, Jannik Sinner is well ahead of his nearest rival, Alexander Zverev, in the 2026 rankings, with the top two cementing their status after they played each other in the Wimbledon final.
Flavio Cobolli is up to No 9 in the ATP Rankings after his run to the French Open final and the last eight at Wimbledon, but his impressive form this season sees the Italian positioned at No 4 in the rankings for this year.
Daniil Medvedev is another eye-catching name in fifth place since the turn of the year, with the Russian down in eighth place in the official ATP Rankings.
Spain’s Rafael Jodar is 17th in the 2026 rankings, even though he is down in No 25 in the ATP list after his breakthrough season.
Britain’s Arthur Fery is another big riser, with his run to the Wimbledon semi-finals firing him up to No 27 in the rankings for this year, while he has jumped up to No 36 in the ATP list.
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