WTA Rankings: Alex Eala career-high, Coco Gauff climbs, Iga Swiatek falls, Leylah Fernandez +5

The gap between the world’s top 10 players has narrowed slightly, while Alex Eala and Leylah Fernandez have climbed the rankings.

Another exciting season of tennis is set to draw to a close in the next fortnight, with many of those outside the top eight finishing up their campaigns in Hong Kong or Chennai, and then the game’s elite will duke it out at Indian Wells from 8 November.

According to the latest official WTA rankings, world No 1 Elena Rybakina still holds top spot but the 1,500 points she won from her WTA Finals triumph last year have dropped off, as has Aryna Sabalenka‘s runner-up position.

Iga Swiatek is set to miss out on that season-ending event for the first time since 2019, with the Pole shutting down her year due to a thigh injury.

Also in the top 10, Coco Gauff has leapfrogged fellow American Jessica Pegula into fourth in the rankings by the slightest of margins, and Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova is back up to eighth at Swiatek’s expense.

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From those in the 10 to 20 region, Pan Pacific Open champion Diana Shnaider is up two places to 11th, which matches her career-best ranking.

Eala is up to a career-high ranking of 17 as she prepares for her final event of the season at the WTA 250 event in Hong Kong, while in-form Fernandez has risen five places to 18th.

As far as casualties go, Victoria Mboko, who has been out with a knee injury since June, has fallen five positions to 20th, while former US Open and Wimbledon finalist Amanda Anisimova – who is also injured – has also dropped by the same amount to 22nd.

The likes of Naomi Osaka, Belinda Bencic, and Sorana Cirstea have made small gains, while Iva Jovic, Maja Chwalinska, and Madison Keys have gone in the opposite direction.

There is still plenty to play for this week and next, as players look to end the season on a high and give themselves the highest ranking possible ahead of next year’s Australian Open. Below are the latest top 20 rankings.

WTA Top 20:

1. Elena Rybakina, Kazakhstan – 8,099
2. Aryna Sabalenka, Belarus – 6,485
3. Mirra Andreeva, Russia – 6,306
4. Coco Gauff, United States – 5,763 (+1)
5. Jessica Pegula, United States – 5,760 (+1)
6. Elina Svitolina, Ukraine – 5,121
7. Karolina Muchova, Czechia – 4,665
8. Linda Noskova, Czechia – 4,343 (+1)
9. Iga Swiatek, Poland – 4,188 (-1)
10. Marta Kostyuk, Ukraine – 3,920
11. Diana Shnaider, Russia – 3,238 (+2)
12. Maja Chwalinksa, Poland – 3,016 (-1)
13. Iva Jovic, United States – 2,941 (-1)
14. Elise Mertens, Belgium – 2,540 
15. Sorana Cirstea, Romania – 2,386 (+1)
16. Naomi Osaka, Japan – 2,315 (+2)
17. Alex Eala, Philippines – 2,289 (+2)
18. Leylah Fernandez, Canada – 2,201 (+5)
19. Belinda Bencic, Switzerland – 2,168 (+1)
20. Victoria Mboko, Canada – 2,143 (-5)

READ NEXT: Elena Rybakina given candid advice by Martina Navratilova on how to keep No 1 ranking from Aryna Sabalenka and more

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