Following her dominant victory at the WTA 1000 Mutua Madrid Open, where she lost just one set across two weeks to earn 1,000 points and claim the title on Saturday, Aryna Sabalenka has extended her lead at the top of the PIF Race to the WTA Finals standings.
The 27-year-old, who recently celebrated her birthday, has shown exceptional form this season. Her win in Madrid was her fourth consecutive final appearance and her sixth overall final of the season. She has also secured titles at the WTA 1000 Miami Open and the WTA 500 Brisbane International.
Additionally, Sabalenka was a finalist at the WTA 1000 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, the WTA 500 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, and the year`s opening Grand Slam, the Australian Open. These results bring her total points in the race for a spot at the WTA Finals Riyadh to just under 5,000.
Looking at other movements on the leaderboard, former WTA Finals champion Elina Svitolina moved up nine positions to No. 7, entering the qualifying positions thanks to reaching the semifinals in Madrid.
In the doubles standings, Hsieh Su-Wei and Jelena Ostapenko earned 390 points by reaching the Madrid semifinals, solidifying their position at No. 3. Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, who did not compete in Madrid, maintain their lead at the top of the leaderboard due to their strong start to the season.
This week marks the beginning of the final WTA 1000 clay-court event of the season, the Internazionali BNL d`Italia in Rome, where more crucial points are available.
The WTA Finals Riyadh features the top eight singles players and doubles teams from the PIF Race to the WTA Finals leaderboard. The eighth spot is reserved for a Grand Slam winner ranked between 8th and 20th if applicable. This prestigious event brings together the world`s top eight in a round-robin format, with the singles champion awarded the WTA Finals Billie Jean King Trophy and the doubles champions receiving the WTA Finals Martina Navratilova Trophy.
