After two weeks of incredible action, the curtains have finally come down on the Australian Open. The first Grand Slam of the year exceeded expectations, as there were many memorable moments on the WTA’s side of the draw. Moreover, it has left a lasting impact, not just on the courts but on the rankings too.
The Australian Open is a marquee event, and players put their best foot forward. Many try and succeed in etching their names in the history of the tournament, as Aryna Sabalenka did this time.
She took on Qinwen Zheng and defeated her 6-3, 6-2 in straight sets. In doing so, Sabalenka became the second woman to defend her title successfully, after Victoria Azarenka.
Aryna Sabalenka hugging her Australian Open trophy.
Same mood.
Different year.
🐅❤️ pic.twitter.com/4vbwY3Ze4S
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) January 27, 2024
For others, the tournament brings shocking defeats and exits. Despite the many challenges that players faced, there was no dearth of skills on display. This year’s tournament will be talked about for years, as the early knockout rounds shaped the event. After a fortnight of electrifying tennis, we take a look at the WTA rankings as they stand.
Iga Swiatek
Heading into the tournament, the Polish star was one of the favorites to win the title this year. Swiatek kicked off her campaign on a positive note, as she defeated the former champion, Sofia Kenin. She then took on Danielle Collins in the next round and staged an impressive comeback when it looked bleak. Iga locked horns with Linda Noskova in the third round, and her run came to an abrupt halt.
As of January 30, Swiatek has 9770 points, and she still retained her top rank despite the early exit. However, she is ahead of Sabalenka by a mere 865 points. With Sabalenka breathing down her neck, Swiatek will hope to extend the lead. The Pole is set to headline the tournaments in Dubai and Doha in February.
Aryna Sabalenka defends Australian Open crown
The Belarusian player had a splendid start to her season. She made it to the finals in Brisbane before losing to Elena Rybakina. Sabalenka carried over her form to Melbourne and stunned everyone with her fiery brand of tennis.
Aryna successfully defended her title at Melbourne Park this year without dropping a single set. By winning her second major title, Aryna also fulfilled her promise to her late father.
“I lost my father four years ago. We had one dream, that before 25 I will win a couple of Grand Slams.”
💖 Aryna Sabalenka pic.twitter.com/2knXXGKtaa
— We Are Tennis (@WeAreTennis) January 29, 2024
In the wake of her title run, Sabalenka now sits in second place with 8905 points. She defended all of her 2000 points from last year, when she won her maiden major title. Aryna has been one of the most consistent players on tour in the last few years. As she is sure to eye more silverware, she will also hope to retake the top rank from Swiatek in the months to come.
Sabalenka has the perfect opportunity to start narrowing the gap between herself and Swiatek. The Pole has a lot of points to defend from the Qatar Open and Abu Dhabi Championships, and Aryna will fancy her chances, given her imperious form of late.
Coco Gauff
The American teenage sensation made a deep run at Melbourne Park. Despite being only 19 years old, Gauff has established herself as one of the fiercest competitors.
Gauff began her year by defending her title in Auckland. She went into the first major of the year, hoping to replicate the success she found at the US Open. Coco made it to the semifinals despite coming close to defeat en route. However, Sabalenka managed to avenge her loss, as she defeated Coco in straight sets.
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With her solid showing Down Under, Coco now sits in third place, behind Aryna. She broke through the 7,000-point mark for the first time in her career. Gauff moved up one place and has 7200 points to her name. She is set to play at the Doha Open next.
Jessica Pegula
Pegula had a forgettable outing Down Under this year. She began her quest for a major title with an easy win over Rebecca Marino in the first round. However, Jessica could not overcome Clara Burel in the second round, and she crashed out early.
Despite her early exit, Jessica Pegula, like her compatriot Gauff, has moved up one spot in the rankings. With 5705 points under her belt, Jessica sits in the fourth spot.
Elena Rybakina
The Kazakh player is among the top three players in the WTA. She proved her mettle when she won the Brisbane International by defeating Sabalenka. Many believed Rybakina would make it to the finals in Melbourne, like last year. Unfortunately, she threw the women’s draw for a loop with her second-round defeat.
UNFORGETTABLE!!! 😱
Anna Blinkova DEFEATS Elena Rybakina after an incredible 22-20 tie-break in the deciding set! 🤯#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/nEUgGQFgPr
— Eurosport (@eurosport) January 18, 2024
Elena took on Anna Blinkova, and after a marathon tiebreak, Blinkova emerged victorious. As a result of her early exit, Rybakina dropped two places in the ranking. She sits in fifth place with 5688 points to her name.
Ons Jabeur
The Tunisian star has not found her rhythm since her Wimbledon run in 2023. Jabeur has crashed out of tournaments in the early rounds, and that trend continued in Melbourne as well. After an easy first-round match, Ons locked horns with the rising star, Mirra Andreeva, in the next round. The youngster proved to be too good for the out-of-form Jabeur, who lost in straight sets.
With 4076 points to her name, Jabeur holds the sixth position in the WTA rankings. She will hope to improve as the season progresses. The Tunisian star is set to play doubles with Naomi Osaka at the Abu Dhabi Open next.
Qinwen Zheng
The young Chinese player broke into the top 10 for the first time in her budding career. She has been playing consistently and is now reaping the rewards for it.
Fantastic start to 2024 for Qinwen Zheng 🇨🇳
Grand Slam Finalist
Top 10 WTA DebutIt’s only January 27th January
Much more to come as she learns and experiences more and more on the WTA Tour pic.twitter.com/suPrrAtFCS
— Chris Goldsmith (@TheTennisTalker) January 27, 2024
Qinwen made a remarkable final run in Melbourne this year. While she ended up losing to Sabalenka, Zheng etched her name in the hearts of fans. The 21-year-old moved up eight spots on the WTA rankings table and currently occupies seventh place. Zheng has a total of 3950 points.
Marketa Vondrousova
The Wimbledon champion had a disastrous run in Melbourne this year. The Ukrainian qualifier, Dayana Yastremska, knocked her out in the first round itself. She has not quite been able to reach the heights of success she did at Wimbledon. The Czech player dropped one spot in the rankings, and with 3846 points, Marketa is ranked eighth.
Maria Sakkari
The Greek star’s abysmal run at Grand Slams continued this year as well. Elina Avanesyan defeated her in the second round of the tournament. Sakkari has dropped one place and now sits in the ninth spot with 3710 points.
Karolina Muchova
The Czech player has been plagued by a number of issues since the latter half of 2023. She had to withdraw from the tournament and subsequently dropped one place in the rankings. Muchova occupies tenth place with 3520 points.
The Australian Open delivered on all fronts this year. It jostled the WTA rankings, with some players reaping the rewards of early exits. As the year progresses, the fight among the best players will only intensify.