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Those who thought that the WTA Tour might slow down after the 2023 US Open may have been surprised by the number of tournaments played last week. Specifically, the WTA Tour held four tournaments that were played and completed between September 11th and September 17th. These are the events that have influenced the WTA rankings this week, and it’s been a rather hectic week (in a good way) for numerous players. In fact, the movement concerning the WTA rankings updates this week has been more drastic than what we witnessed following the completion of the US Open.
As for the tournaments that were played, last week saw tournaments of multiple levels get played and completed. These included a 500-level event in San Diego, two 125-level events in Romania and Slovenia, as well as one 250-level event in Japan. Of course, those individuals who performed well in these tournaments have enjoyed the highest WTA rankings rise this week. In contrast, those who didn’t compete, or those who did compete and performed poorly, have slid down the ladder by the most places.
As for those players that have been at the center of the most dramatic WTA rankings swings following the results of last week, I’ve highlighted and discussed such players below.
WTA rankings updates – week commencing September 18th
Contents
As referenced above, many tennis fans expected a bit of cooling down time following the completion of the fourth Grand Slam of the season. Of course, last week reflected the results of the 2023 US Open in the form of some rather impressive WTA rankings changes. However, since the 4th and final slam of the season has been followed by four immediate tournaments, we have witnessed yet another roller coaster ride as far as the rankings are concerned. And below, as I aim to do with every new release of the WTA rankings, I have shown you the players who have jumped up and down the ladder by the most places.
The week’s biggest climbers
There are three individuals this week who have absolutely surged through the rankings at a rate that is far superior to any others. As you are about to find out, the three biggest risers in the WTA rankings this week have all published gains of more than 35 places. These are the kinds of gains that make a significant difference in terms of direct entrances to tournaments and subsequent prize money. Additionally, since two of the three biggest climbers this week are American players, it’s clearly been a fantastic seven days for American tennis.
On that note, please see the three biggest climbers in the WTA rankings as the week commencing September 18th.
Ashlyn Krueger: +49
In quite spectacular fashion, it’s Ashlyn Krueger who features as the biggest climber of the week this week by posting a rankings gain of 49 places, taking her to 73 in the world. This is nine places higher than the second-biggest climber of the week, which means she’s clearly in a league of her own in the ‘green zone’. As for how Krueger has posted such a gain, she managed to win her first WTA 250 title in Japan last week without even dropping a set!
Sofia Kenin: +40
The second biggest climber of the week is another American in the form of Sofia Kenin. She has been somewhat off the radar in recent times, yet she has now come back in style. After reaching the final of the San Diego Open last week, which was a 500-level tournament, Kenin has now climbed 40 places in the WTA rankings. As a result, she is now ranked 53.
Tamara Zidansek: +39
Moving away from the American players now, we have a player from Slovenia who fills the position of the third-highest climber of the week. As you can see, this player is Tamara Zidansek – a 25-year-old who has jumped 39 places to reach her current ranking of 80. This was achieved after Zidansek reached the semi-finals of her home tournament in Slovenia last week, which was a WTA 125 event.
The week’s biggest fallers
You now know exactly who the three biggest climbers of the week are as per the WTA rankings updates that were published today (Monday, September 18th). However, as is always the case in tennis, where there are winners there are also losers. And this brings me to the three biggest fallers following the results last week.
Katerina Siniakova: -36
Topping the list for the most severe WTA rankings slide is Katerina Siniakova. This 27-year-old from the Czech Republic competed in the WTA 500 Event in San Diego last week. However, due to her ranking, she was involved in the qualifiers rather than the main draw. And sadly, she lost her opening qualifying match which has prompted the rankings drop of 36 positions this week.
Irina-Camelia Begu: -21
Backing up Siniakova in the red zone this week is Irina-Camelia Begu. This Romanian veteran did not actually compete in any tournaments last week, which means she hasn’t played since losing in the first round of the US Open. However, by not competing, she has dropped 21 places, which takes her down to 61 in the world.
Julia Grabher: -18
The third and final player who features in the red zone this week is Julia Grabher of Austria. Grabher hasn’t actually competed since late August, which is when she played in the WTA 250 event in Cleveland, Ohio. This means that she has missed the US Open and the tournaments that featured last week on the WTA tour. And just like Begu mentioned above, her ranking has dropped as a result of not competing. Her rankings drop hasn’t been quite as severe as the previous two players, however, as she has dropped just 18 spots down to 72.
Top WTA rankings story – First 250 title for Ashlyn Krueger
It was a pretty awesome moment when Coco Gauff won the US Open, we can probably all agree. Yet while this was awesome for US tennis, it looks as though another superstar is rapidly emerging in the form of Ashlyn Krueger. Just one week after Coco Gauff won the US Open, Krueger has managed to win her maiden WTA 250 title in Japan. And at 19 years of age, Krueger is clearly establishing herself as a force to be reckoned with on the WTA Tour!
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