How many WTA ranking points will Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, and rest of Top-10 be defending in 2024's Australia swing?
The 2024 WTA season is one week away, and the biggest stars of women's tennis, like Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka, will descend to Australia to kick off their campaigns.
This year's Australia swing spans two weeks and consists of six tournaments, including the Australian Open. Other tournaments on the Australian calendar are the United Cup, WTA 500 Brisbane International, WTA 250 ASB Classic in Auckland, WTA 500 Adelaide International, and WTA 250 Hobart International.
Top 10 ranked WTA players, including Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, and more, will defend a lot of points in Australia, and we can see a significant ranking shift once the 2024 WTA Tour leaves the land Down Under.
Iga Swiatek will defend 365 points, while Aryna Sabalenka has a whopping 2470 points at stake in Australia
Iga Swiatek has only 365 ranking points to defend during the 2024 Australia swing. Last year, the World No. 1 gained 125 points at the 2023 United Cup and 240 points from her fourth-round appearance at the Australian Open. The United Cup will once again be Iga Swiatek's only warmup tournament before the year's first Grand Slam.
Meanwhile, Aryna Sabalenka is defending the most points out of any top 10 player. She was undefeated in Australia last year, winning the Adelaide International 1 and the Australian Open and gaining a total of 2470 points. The Belarusian will kick off 2024 at the Brisbane International before heading to Melbourne.
A look into how many points Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina, and Jessica Pegula are defending
Coco Gauff is likely to hold on to her World No. 3 if she extends her excellent form that saw her lift the US Open. The American is defending 520 points during the 2024 Australia swing. She gained 280 points from her triumph at the 2023 ASB Classic and 240 points after her fourth-round exit at the Australian Open. In 2024, Gauff will look to defend her ASB Classic title before the Australian Open.
Elena Rybakina bettered Iga Swiatek en route to her finals appearance at the 2023 Australian Open and was awarded 1300 points. The Kazakh also played in both the Adelaide International competitions last year, but only earned 56 points. She will be hoping to defend 1356 points when she plays at this year's Brisbane International, Adelaide International, and the Australian Open.
Jessica Pegula has 740 points to defend until the 2024 Australian Open. She was part of the victorious Team USA at the 2023 United Cup and was a quarterfinalist in Melbourne. This year, Pegula will play in the United Cup, Adelaide International, and the Australian Open.
How many points are Ons Jabeur, Marketa Vondrousova, Karolina Muchova, Maria Sakkari, and Barbora Krejcikova defending?
Ons Jabeur was ranked World No. 2 during last year's Australian swing. She reached the semifinals of the Adelaide International and suffered an upset second-round exit in Melbourne. The Tunisian has 255 points to defend and has not signed up to play any tournaments before the Australian Open.
Marketa Vondrousova will be defending 230 points when she plays at the 2024 Adelaide International and the Australian Open. Meanwhile, fellow Czech Karolina Muchova has even fewer points at stake (170), and, like Jabeur, she will not play any warmup tournaments before the big-ticket event in Melbourne.
Maria Sakkari gained 235 points during the 2023 Australian swing. She reached the semifinal of the United Cup with Greece and the third round of the Australian Open. The 28-year-old will also feature at this year's United Cup and then turn her attention towards the Australian Open.
The third Czech star in the top 10, Barbora Krejcikova, will defend 295 points. She earned these points thanks to a second-round appearance at the Adelaide International 2 and a fourth-round exit in Melbourne. She will have opportunities to defend these points at the Adelaide International and the Australian Open.