After a thrilling Mutua Madrid Open final, where Iga Swiatek saved three championship points against Aryna Sabalenka to win her third WTA 1000 title of the season, the World No.1 further distanced herself from the pack, now 3,412 points ahead of Sabalenka.

For the past 66 weeks, dating back to the 2023 Australian Open, Swiatek and Sabalenka have maintained a stranglehold atop the rankings. 

But that could be in jeopardy in Rome. Sabalenka, despite reaching the final in Madrid, is only 185 points ahead of Coco Gauff for the second spot.

Kostyuk cracks Top 20, Paolini hits new career high

Stuttgart finalist Marta Kostyuk may have fallen to Mayar Sherif in her Madrid opener, but the Ukrainian has otherwise put together a remarkably consistent 2024. She was ranked No.41 in January, she had runs to the Australian Open quarterfinals, Indian Wells semifinals and two WTA 500 finals in San Diego and Stuttgart. Kostyuk climbs one place from No.21 to make her Top 20 debut this week.

Dubai champion Jasmine Paolini has also delivered consistent results since her surprise WTA 1000 triumph in February. On the eve of her home tournament in Rome, she moves up one place to a new career high of No.12 thanks to a fourth-round run in Madrid.

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Teenagers thrive in Madrid

Four promising teenagers have been boosted after posting standout results in Madrid. Sara Bejlek had never won a tour-level match before, but after qualifying the Czech 18-year-old reached the fourth round via the first two Top 50 wins of her career, over Anna Blinkova and Anna Kalinskaya. She rises 22 spots to a new career high of No.114.

Wild card Robin Montgomery, the 2021 US Open junior champion, reached the third round, where the 19-year-old American pushed Aryna Sabalenka to three sets. It was the first time Montgomery had won back-to-back matches in a WTA main draw, and she climbs 24 places to No.159.

Two other 18-year-old wild cards also won their first WTA 1000 match in Madrid. Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva, the 2020 Australian Open junior champion, notched her first Top 60 win over Zhu Lin, and 2022 US Open girls' titlist Alexandra Eala took out Lesia Tsurenko for her first Top 50 win. Eala moves up eight places to a new career high of No.162, while Jimenez Kasintseva is up 25 spots to No.310.

Other notable rankings movements

Marketa Vondrousova (+1, from No.7 to No.6) and Zheng Qinwen (+1, from No.8 to No.7): The only movement in the Top 10 had Vondrousova and Zheng returning to their career highs, while 2023 Madrid semifinalist Maria Sakkari falls from No.6 to No.8.

Madison Keys (+4, from No.20 to No.16): A semifinal run in Madrid was potentially significant for Keys in terms of the battle for a place on the U.S. Olympic team. The top four Americans after Roland Garros qualify in singles; Keys is currently the No.4 following Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula and Danielle Collins.

Yulia Putintseva (+9, from No.50 to No.41): Putintseva, who was ranked as low as No.80 in February, has made back-to-back WTA 1000 quarterfinals in Miami and Madrid.

Sara Sorribes Tormo (+8, from No.55 to No.47): On home soil, the Spaniard scored back-to-back victories over Elina Svitolina and Victoria Azarenka to reach the Madrid fourth round.

Maria Lourdes Carle (+11, from No.83): For the first time in her career, Carle won back-to-back tour-level matches, defeating Emma Raducanu and Veronika Kudermetova (her first Top 20 victory) to make the Madrid third round as a qualifier. It was the culmination of an 11-match winning streak over the past five weeks that also included her first WTA 125 title in La Bisbal d'Empordà and a successful Billie Jean King Cup showing. The Argentinian reaches a new career high.

Moyuka Uchijima (+20, from No.130 to No.110): The Japanese 22-year-old has won 12 of her past 13 matches, adding a second ITF W100 title in Gifu last week to her first in Zaragoza last month. She is just six spots off the career high of No.104 she set in November 2022.

Jana Fett (+22, from No.150 to No.128): Former No.97 Fett has also been excelling on the ITF World Tour, claiming the biggest title of her career two weeks ago at the Oeiras ITF W100 event. The Croatian, who has won 10 of her past 11 matches, is back at her highest ranking since August 2018.

Lulu Sun (+32, from No.164 to No.132): Newly representing New Zealand, the 23-yar-old Sun raced to the Bonita Springs ITF W100 title without dropping a set last week and is boosted to a new career high.

Chloe Paquet (+16, from No.149 to No.133): The 29-year-old Frenchwoman reached her second career WTA 125 final in Saint-Malo last week. Her career high is No.101, where she spent seven weeks in the summer of 2022.

Lois Boisson (+39, from No.191 to No.152): In March and April, Boisson compiled an 18-match winning streak, including three ITF W35 titles. The 20-year-old Frenchwoman successfully took her form up a level to win her first WTA 125 tournament in Saint-Malo last week as a wild card. Boisson began by notching her first career Top 100 win over Varvara Gracheva in the first round and came from a set down in each of her last three rounds.

Naomi Osaka (+24, from No.197 to No.173): The former World No.1 won her first match on clay in two years to reach the second round of Madrid, where she fell to Liudmila Samsonova in a tight three-setter.

Maya Joint (+61, from No.269 to No.208): Joint's spectacular rise continued last week as the 18-year-old Australian reached her first ITF W100 final in Bonita Springs. Ranked outside the Top 1000 last October, Joint's record in 2024 is now 31-9. She is now the second-highest ranked player born in 2006 following Bejlek.

Guiomar Maristany Zuleta De Reales (+45, from No.290 to No.245): The 25-year-old Spaniard posted the first two Top 100 wins of her career, over Nao Hibino and Arantxa Rus, to make her first WTA 125 semifinal in Lleida last week. She hits a new career high.

Ena Shibahara (+66, from No.353 to No.287): Former doubles No.4 Shibahara's singles focus this year is paying dividends. Her season record is 25-7. The 26-year-old cracked the Top 300 for the first time after her run to her first ITF W100 final in Tokyo two weeks ago.

Alison Van Uytvanck (+86, from No.493 to No.407): The former No.37 continued her return from a back injury by picking up the Hammamet ITF W35 title three weeks ago.

Evialina Laskevich (+113, from No.542 to No.429): The 19-year-old claimed her first ITF W50 title in Lopota, Georgia two weeks ago. In the quarterfinals, she ended the 21-match winning streak of last year's US Open junior finalist Tereza Valentova.

Iva Jovic (+69, No.578 to No.509): Australian Open girls' doubles champion Jovic notched her first career Top 100 win over Kayla Day en route to the Bonita Springs ITF W100 quarterfinals last week. The 16-year-old American reaches a new career high.

Wang Qiang (+254, from No.827 to No.573): Former No.12 Wang, 32, claimed the first title of her comeback two weeks ago at the Wuning ITF W50.

Mika Stojsavljevic (+198, from No.874 to No.676): The 15-year-old Briton won the first pro title of her career at the Nottingham ITF W35 two weeks ago. The two youngest players in the Top 1000 are both British; Stojsavljevic is just 11 places behind No.665-ranked Hannah Klugman, also 15 years old.