With the tour at a standstill we're taking a look at the biggest WTA rankings risers of 2020 thus far.


With the cancellation of this week’s BNP Paribas Open, we’ll use the free time to give an update on the WTA rankings while at the same time wishing tennis—and the globe—good health and prosperity during these uncertain times.

Tennis Express

Hopefully all will be back to normal soon. For now let’s look at who have made the most notable achievements on the WTA ranking ladder.

Kenin Crushing it

Sofia Kenin is the biggest riser inside the WTA’s Top-10 thanks to her maiden major title at this year’s Australian Open. The American also took the title last week at Lyon and improves to 15-5 on the season. The 21-year-old is THE story of 2020 thus far on the WTA side.

Rybakina Rising

Also making serious noise in the WTA rankings is Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina. The 20-year-old became the first player to crack the 20-win mark before the end of February since Elena Dementieva in 2009 and has climbed from 37 to a career-high ranking of 17 thanks to 21 wins in her 25 matches.

Garbi’s Got Game

Spain’s Garbiñe Muguruza is on the comeback trail in a big way and she proved that in January when she powered her way to the Australian Open final. That was Muguruza’s fourth major final and it helped her climb 20 spots in the rankings from 36 at the end of 2019 to 16 in today’s rankings. Expect the 26-year-old former No.1 to go much higher this year, as she’s looking re-energized and working effectively with coach Conchita Martinez.


Ons Owning 2020

Ons Jabeur has been a delight to watch ever since January, where she became the first Arab woman to reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal. She’s 11-5 on the season and has notched her first Top 10 win since 2018 by beating Karolina Pliskova in Doha. The Tunisian has risen from 77 in the rankings all the way to a career-high 39.

More: Groundbreaking Ons Jabeur Wants to Inspire the Tunisia's Generation Next

Another Canadian Kid? You Better Believe It!

Canada’s Leylah Fernandez has notched her first Top 10 win and reached her maiden WTA final of the Abierto Mexicano Telcel in Acapulco, climbing nearly 100 spots in the WTA rankings to get from 209 all the way to 118. It’s just a matter of time that the 17-year-old joins the Top 100.

Other notable rankings movers:

Coco Gauff is up 16 spots from where she started 2020, now at 52 in the world after brief spell in the Top 50. … Marie Bouzkova makes her Top 50 debut at 47 after reaching the Monterrey final—10 spots higher than where she started 2020. … Switzerland’s Leonie Kung made it to the final in Thailand in just her second WTA main draw, and the 19-year-old, a Wimbledon Girls Singles finalist in 2018, has risen from 330 to 155 in the rankings as a result.

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