The clay court season on the Hologic WTA Tour is now in full swing following the conclusion of the Mutua Madrid Open, the season`s fifth WTA 1000 event. The updated PIF WTA Rankings also include results from two WTA 125 tournaments held in Saint-Malo, France, and Vic, Spain.
Aryna Sabalenka claimed her third Madrid title, matching Petra Kvitova`s record, after winning in 2021 and 2023. The World No. 1 has reached the final in six of her eight tournaments played in 2025, increasing her lead over World No. 2 Iga Swiatek to 4,345 points.
Coco Gauff, the runner-up, defeated Swiatek 6-1, 6-1, marking her third consecutive win against the World No. 2. This performance led her to her first final since the 2024 WTA Finals and propelled the 21-year-old back to No. 3, regaining the American No. 1 position from Jessica Pegula.
Japanese Players Achieve Significant Milestones
Japanese players performed exceptionally well recently. Moyuka Uchijima was a standout performer in Madrid, securing her first three career wins against Top 25 players, including upsetting Pegula in the third round, to reach her inaugural WTA 1000 quarterfinal. A year ago, Uchijima entered the Top 100 with a 19-match winning streak (including the Madrid ITF W100 title). Now, she enters the Top 50 for the first time, climbing nine spots from No. 56 to No. 47.
After an early exit in Madrid against Lucia Bronzetti, former World No. 1 Naomi Osaka chose to compete at a WTA 125 event in Saint-Malo, her first at this level in ten years. The move proved fruitful. Osaka, who overcame a 4-1 deficit in the third set against Diane Parry, won the tournament, marking her first title since the 2021 Australian Open and her first ever on clay. This victory boosts her ranking seven spots to No. 48, putting her back in the Top 50.
Aoi Ito, known for her unique playing style, chose to play in Japan. The 20-year-old reached the semifinals in Osaka on her WTA debut in 2024 and won the Canberra WTA 125 title in January. A recent semifinal appearance at the Tokyo ITF W100 helped her enter the Top 100 for the first time, moving up one spot to No. 100.
Australian Open junior champion Wakana Sonobe made a notable impression on her WTA debut in February, qualifying and reaching the second round in Abu Dhabi. The strong 17-year-old won her first professional title two weeks ago at the Tokyo ITF W100, soaring 161 places from No. 448 to a new career high of No. 287.
Ukrainians Shine in Madrid
Three Ukrainian players achieved their best results in Madrid. Elina Svitolina had previously won only three matches in nine appearances at the event, never consecutively. This time, she reached the semifinals, extending her winning streak to 11 matches after her Rouen title and Billie Jean King Cup participation. The 30-year-old climbs three places to No. 14, reaching her highest rank since October 2021.
Marta Kostyuk reached her second WTA 1000 quarterfinal of the year in Madrid, securing wins against Emma Raducanu and Veronika Kudermetova. After falling outside the Top 30 for the first time since March 2024 just two weeks prior, Kostyuk quickly bounced back, moving up nine spots to No. 27.
Last October, Yuliia Starodubtseva entered the Top 100 by reaching the Beijing quarterfinals as a qualifier but subsequently lost 16 of her next 19 matches, including all six at the tour level. The 25-year-old ended this slump impressively, again qualifying for a WTA 1000 event and reaching the Round of 16 in Madrid. She earned her second career Top 20 victory by defeating Liudmila Samsonova in the third round, climbing 19 spots to No. 80.
Hungarian Players Excel on Clay
Dalma Galfi, formerly ranked No. 79, has been quietly building momentum on the WTA 125 circuit. The 26-year-old, a former junior world No. 1, was a runner-up in La Bisbal d`Empordà four weeks ago and then secured her first two WTA 125 titles in Antalya and Vic. With a 14-1 record over the last month, Galfi moves up 26 positions to No. 95 this week, re-entering the Top 100 for the first time since June 2023.
Anna Bondar, another Hungarian player and former World No. 50, also won a title last week, claiming the Wiesbaden ITF W100 trophy for the second time. The 27-year-old improves her ranking by 13 spots to No. 89.
Other Significant Ranking Changes
- Jasmine Paolini: Climbs 1 spot to No. 5. Reaches the Top 5 for the first time since February after making the third round in Madrid.
- Diana Shnaider: Rises 2 places to a new career high of No. 11. Reached the Madrid fourth round, winning consecutive matches for the first time since January.
- Anna Blinkova: Jumps 9 spots to No. 67. Qualified for Madrid and reached the second round, giving a strong performance against eventual champion Sabalenka.
- Yuan Yue: Advances 10 places to No. 93. Ended a slump with her first career clay title at the Oeiras ITF W100, returning to the Top 100 after falling out in March.
- Mananchaya Sawangkaew: Moves up 8 positions to a new career high of No. 105 after reaching the Gifu ITF W100 final.
- Rebeka Masarova: Soars 41 spots to No. 112. Reached the Madrid third round as a qualifier and the Vic WTA 125 final, improving her recent record to 16-5.
- Iva Jovic: Rises 21 places to a new career high of No. 120 after winning her first ITF W100 title in Charlottesville.
- Zhang Shuai: Jumps 28 spots to No. 136. Won the Gifu ITF W100, her first singles title at any level since 2022.
- Astra Sharma: Climbs 47 positions to No. 154. Won the Bonita Springs ITF W100 title without dropping a set and reached the Charlottesville ITF W100 semifinals.
- Whitney Osuigwe: Advances 21 places to No. 158. Her resurgence continues with a final appearance at the Bonita Springs ITF W100, bringing her 2025 record to 32-10.
- Julia Grabher: Rises 76 spots to No. 162. Gained significant momentum after wrist surgery with a 21-match winning streak, claiming three consecutive ITF titles before reaching the Wiesbaden W100 final.
- Emerson Jones: Climbs 38 places to a new career high of No. 236. The junior No. 1 reached the Gifu ITF W100 semifinals.
- Harmony Tan: Jumps 39 spots to No. 244 after winning her first title in over a year at the Yecla ITF W50.
- Kaja Juvan: Soars 159 places to No. 356. Returned to competition after a 12-month break and reached the Saint-Malo WTA 125 final, her first final since 2022.
- Alisa Oktiabreva: Climbs 124 places to No. 447, breaking the Top 500 after winning her second ITF W35 title of the year in Leme, Brazil.
- Teodora Kostovic: Rises 101 spots to No. 524. Reached her first WTA main draw in Madrid after qualifying.
- Katarina Jokic: Jumps 513 places to No. 595. Returned after injury and reached the Bonita Springs ITF W100 semifinals.
Jasper Hawthorne 
Dominic Ashworth