Iga Swiatek climbed one spot to the top of the WTA rankings on Monday, becoming the first Polish tennis player to be number 1 in her sport.
Swiatek, 20, succeeds Ashleigh Barty, who announced last month that she was retiring, aged 25, after more than two years at the front row. The Pole won the French Open in 2020, and she is currently on a 17-win streak that includes her Miami Masters title, where she defeated Naomi Osaka 6-4, 6-0 in the final on Saturday. This follows Swiatek’s triumph in Indian Wells, California last month, which made her the fourth woman to win what is being called the ‘Sunshine Double’, and another trophy won in Doha, Qatar, in February. She is therefore the very first woman to win the first three WTA 1000 events in one year.
“I feel like everything clicked this season,” Swiatek explained in a video interview with The Associated Press.
She is the 28and woman to take the top spot.
Osaka is a former No. 1. Her run to her first circuit final in over a year saw her rise from 77and at 35and rank Monday.
Lavalloise Leylah Annie Fernandez, eliminated in her first game in Miami, is at 19and rank, which equals his career-best ranking.
ATP Ranking
On the men’s side, Miami champion Carlos Alcaraz, an 18-year-old Spaniard, jumped five places to 11and position in the ATP rankings, a high to date. The player he defeated in the final on Sunday, Casper Ruud, also reached his highest ranking, moving up to 7and square.
Novak Djokovic remains No. 1 even though he hasn’t played in Indian Wells or Miami due to his decision not to get a COVID-19 shot, which bars him from entering the United States .
Daniil Medvedev briefly held the No. 1 spot this year and could have moved back in, based on his performances in Miami, but he remains in No. 2 following his quarter-final loss. He announced on Saturday that he would be out for a month or two as he underwent surgery for a hernia.
Quebecer Félix Auger-Aliassime remains at 9and rank despite being eliminated in his only game in Miami. His compatriot Denis Shapovalov for his part slipped to 15and rank, a drop of one position.