With the grass season now fully underway, the WTA rankings have updated, and it’s good news for Emma Raducanu, who reached the quarter-final at her home tournament in Queen’s last week. The former US Open champion has overtaken countrywoman Katie Boulter to become the British No. 1 for the first time in two years.
But Iga Swiatek has dropped further down the rankings after a relatively disappointing season so far, failing to reach the final at any tournament. The Pole did not play last week and is absent from the tour again this week, and she has fallen to No. 8, her lowest ranking in more than three years.
Last week, the WTA Tour returned to the Queen’s Club for the first time since 1973. It was a successful first week of women’s tennis in London, with packed stands on Andy Murray Arena all week.
And Raducanu made the most of the home advantage, storming into the quarter-finals before her back issues plagued her during a straight-set defeat to No. 1 seed Qinwen Zheng.
Raducanu has now climbed one spot to No. 36 in the new rankings, which updated on Monday. She overtook Boulter, who fell five places to No. 39.
Boulter won the title in Nottingham last year, when it was still staged in the first week of the grass swing. Therefore, the 250 points she received for lifting the trophy have already been deducted, even though the tournament is now being held this week.
After it was confirmed that Raducanu would become the new British No. 1, Boulter said: “I’m very well aware that I lost 250 this week, because Nottingham was next week and the scheduling’s been different.
Zheng, who beat Raducanu on her way to a maiden grass-court semi-final, is up to a career-high ranking of No. 4. Tatjana Maria has skyrocketed up the rankings from No. 86 to No. 43 after winning the Queen’s title as a qualifier.
Runner-up Amanda Anisimova rose to No. 13 while Madison Keys, who lost to Maria in the semis, is back up to No. 6.
But it’s more bad news for Swiatek, who has continued to fall down the rankings this year as she was unable to replicate the success she had in the first half of the 2024 season. The Pole fell to No. 7 after the French Open after losing in the semis there.
Now, she sits at No. 8, her lowest position since February 2022. Swiatek is the only top-10 player not competing at the WTA 500 event in Berlin this week, meaning she could drop further if her rivals overtake her.
The five-time Major winner is set to compete in Bad Homburg the week before Wimbledon. But if she fails to climb back inside the top four, she won’t have her own quarter of the draw at the All England Club and risks facing a top player like Aryna Sabalenka or Coco Gauff earlier in the tournament.
Naomi Osaka, who pulled out of Queen’s, also fell five spots this week.
Content Source: www.express.co.uk