WTA rankings update: Charleston Open title bolsters Ons Jabeur, NCAA champion Peyton Stearns skyrockets
Charleston Open champion Ons Jabeur and Bogota finalist Peyton Stearns were among the biggest winners in this week's WTA rankings, which were updated on Monday.
Jabeur, who was on the verge of slipping out of the top 5 in the rankings ladder, was bolstered by her best week of the 2023 so far — one that saw her race to a fourth career title and second at the WTA 500 level.
The Tunisian did not drop a set en-route to lifting the trophy on the green clay of Charleston, taking out the likes of Belinda Bencic (final) and Daria Kasatkina (semifinal) in comprehensive fashion. The win is particularly significant for Jabeur, who has been battling an injury all season and only had four wins to show for in 2023 prior to the week.
Ons Jabeur's victory saw her climb back up to No. 4 with 5,031 ranking points, replacing Caroline Garcia, who sits at 4,990. There was no other change in the top 10 of the WTA rankings. Iga Swiatek continues to hold her grip over the top spot with 8,795 points.
Peyton Stearns, for her part, made her breakthrough on the big stage by reaching the final in her first ever claycourt appearance at the Copa Colsanitas in the Colombian capital of Bogota.
The 2022 NCAA singles champion scored upset wins over the likes of Tamara Zidansek and Kamilla Rakhimova before coming up just short against defending champion Tatjana Maria in the summit clash.
The run, however, was enough to help her make a top 100 debut. Stearns climbed 28 spots on the WTA rankings ladder to finish at No. 89 with 734 points.
Tatjana Maria found herself at risk of dropping out of the top 100, but rediscovered her love for the claycourts in Bogota to successfully defend the title that she had won 12 months ago. The German, still, had a minor slide in the WTA rankings, slipping five spots to be ranked at No. 71 with 833 points.
Belinda Bencic closes in on top 10 of the WTA rankings despite Charleston final loss to Ons Jabeur
Despite coming up short against Ons Jabeur in the final, Belinda Bencic enjoyed a very successful week in Charleston — where she beat the likes of Jessica Pegula and Ekaterina Alexandrova.
The Swiss earned 305 ranking points, inching closer to returning to the top 10 of the WTA rankings. She currently sits at No. 11 with 2,870 points, considerably behind No. 10 Petra Kvitova, who has 3,162 points.
Other big moves in the WTA rankings included Bernarda Pera (+5 to No. 33), who reached a new career high, Amanda Anisimova (-12 to No. 47), Anna Kalinskaya (+8 to No. 62) and Lesia Tsurenko (+5 to No. 72).