By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Monday February 19, 2024
There was not a lot of movement inside the WTA's Top 10 this week, but the moves that did occur were significant. Scroll down for the skinny...
OSTAPENKO ON THE RISE
Jelena Ostapenko has been putting up good results in 2024, and the ranking shows it. The Latvian jumps from No 11 to No 9 this week, marking Ostapenko’s highest ranking since May of 2018, a period of nearly six years.
2024 has been good to the 2017 Roland-Garros champ. When she won the Adelaide title in January, Ostapenko returned to the top 10 for the first time since September of 2018 ahead of the Australian Open.
She’s 14-3 with two titles already, and it’s just February…
SAKKARI LEAVES THE TOP 10 FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2021
Ostapenko’s rise spells bad news for Maria Sakkari. A Top-10 fixture for years, the Greek has finally fallen out as of Monday, dropping two spots from No 9 to No 11. Sakkari is outside of the top 10 for the first time since September of 2021 – and looking for a new coach after parting ways with longtime charge Tom Hill last week.
Pavlyuchenkova’s Top 25 Return
Anastasia Pavlychenkova was outside of the top 800 last February, having recently returned from a serious knee injury. Fast forward a year and she has achieved her highest ranking since May 22, 2022, up eight spots from 32 to 24 this week.
The 32-year-old, a former world No 11, reached the semi-finals at Doha last week.
PLISKOVA POWER
Former World No.1 Karolina Pliskova is on the rise again. The Czech reeled off nine victories on the trot over the last two weeks, claiming the title at Cluj-Napoca and reaching the semi-finals at Doha.
Pliskova bottomed out in the rankings two weeks ago at 78, which was her lowest ranking in over a decade. Two weeks later she’s already back to No 36.
Osaka On the Way Up
Reaching the quarterfinals at Doha has propelled Naomi Osakia back into the Top 300 – she rises 461 spots from 747 to 286.
Collins +17
Pliskova (+23) is the biggest riser in the Top 100, but Danielle Collins is not far behind. The feisty American rose 17 spots to No.46. Good news for her in this year self-declared final season.