Last week, three WTA 250 tournaments were staged across Europe – the Livesport Prague Open, the Ladies Open Lausanne and Hungarian Grand Prix.
Here is a look at the Top 5 biggest ranking improvements among this week’s Top 100:
Clara Burel +27 (No.125 to No.98)
The 20-year-old Frenchwoman made her Top 100 debut this week, checking in at a career-high ranking of No.98. Burel defeated fellow Frenchwomen Fiona Ferro in the quarterfinals and Caroline Garcia in the semifinals en route to her first career WTA singles final appearance in Lausanne. The former junior World No.1 is the sixth player to crack the Top 100 in 2021, following Clara Tauson, Tereza Martincova, Maria Camila Osorio Serrano, Liudmila Samsonova and Anhelina Kalinina.
Tamara Zidansek +13 (No.50 to No.37)
Zidansek became the 12th first-time title winner of 2021 with her victory at Lausanne, a WTA 250 clay-court tournament. Zidansek climbed to a career-high ranking of No.37. The 23-year-old Slovenian has improved her ranking 50 spots since starting the year at No.87, having also reached the Bogota final and Roland Garros semifinals.
Zidansek wins in Lausanne: Read | Watch
Anhelina Kalinina +15 (No.95 to No.80)
Kalinina extended her streak to 14 consecutive match-wins – all on clay, across all levels. She has won back-to-back ITF women’s circuit titles, and last week in Budapest, she advanced to her first WTA final. Before her win streak, the 24-year-old Ukrainian was ranked No.125. Her success on clay throughout first half of July has resulted in a climb to a career-best ranking of No.80.
Tereza Martincova +11 (No.78 to No.67)
Martincova reached her first singles final in Prague. She continues to improve on her best ranking, moving to No.67 this week. After starting 2021 ranked No.120, Martincova made her Top 100 debut on April 5 and has kept climbing.
Yulia Putintseva +7 (No.42 to No.35)
Putintseva won her second career singles title last week in Budapest. She moved from No.42 to No.35, eight spots off the career-high of No.27 the Kazakh set in February 2017.
Putintseva charges to second career title in Budapest: Read | Watch
Hungarian Jumps
Last week, the Hungarian home crowd was treated to the success of rising national stars in Budapest at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Dalma Galfi, a semifinalist, improved her ranking 25 spots, moving from No.176 to No.151, while fellow countrywoman Panna Udvardy advanced to the quarterfinals, climbing 23 spots (No.204 to a career-high No.181).
Closing in on Top 10
Barbora Krejcikova continued her best season by winning her third title of 2021. She took home her latest trophy last week in Prague without dropping a set. Krejcikova has won titles in three of her past four tournaments, while posting a 20-1 match record. On Monday, she moved up two spots, from No.13 to No.11, falling only three points of the Top 10.
Krejcikova triumphs over Martincova in all-Czech final to win Prague: Read | Watch
Juniors make ITF runs
Two leading juniors delivered career-best pro performances last week. Wimbledon girls' champion Ane Mintegi Del Olmo carried her grass form over to clay at home, reaching the Vitoria-Gasteiz ITF W60 final in her native Basque Country. The 17-year-old Spaniard upset No.1 seed Lesley Pattinama Kerkhove in the quarterfinals before falling to Rebeka Masarova in the final, and jumps 245 places from No.720 to No.475.
Junior World No.13 Oksana Selekhmeteva, a semifinalist in the Roland Garros girls' event, also reached her first ITF W60 final on French clay in Biarritz. The 18-year-old Russian qualified and was only stopped by No.1 seed Francesca Jones in the final. Selekhmeteva rises 95 places from No.431 to No.336.
