The final regular week of the 2024 Hologic WTA Tour calendar was a busy one, featuring WTA 250 events in Hong Kong, Jiujiang and Merida, where three distinct champions rose to the occasion.
Diana Shnaider underlined her status in Hong Kong as one of the year's most improved players with her fourth trophy of 2024.
Viktorija Golubic ended her title drought in Jiujiang, capturing her first trophy in eight years with her signature one-handed backhand.
And in Merida, Zeynep Sonmez made some history for both herself and her country with her first title. The Turkish newcomer had the most significant milestone in this week’s PIF WTA Rankings, jumping 36 spots from No.127 to make her Top 100 debut at No.91. The 22-year-old has been on the rise all year. She qualified for Roland Garros to make her Grand Slam main-draw debut, secured her first tour-level win on the grass in Berlin and reached her first WTA quarterfinal in Monastir in September.
Sonmez follows in the footsteps of Cagla Buyukakcay (Istanbul 2016) as just the second Turkish player to become a WTA champion and reach the Top 100.
Shnaider also reaches a new career high, climbing two places from No.14 to No.12. The 20-year-old, who was ranked as low as No.108 in January, dropped just one set in Hong Kong.
Former No.35 Golubic had dropped to No.168 ahead of Jiujiang, having failed to win back-to-back tour-level matches since the Australian Open in January. However, the 32-year-old Swiss responded by winning her second WTA title -- and first since Lausanne 2016 -- to leap 63 places to No.105.
Sramkova makes Top 50 debut, Li returns to Top 100
All three runners-up also make noteworthy moves. Jiujiang finalist Rebecca Sramkova has enjoyed a remarkable fourth quarter of 2024, winning 17 out of 20 matches since the US Open. That includes a first tour final in Monastir, a first title at Hua Hin 2 and now a third final in her past five events.
The Slovak climbs 10 places to enter the Top 50 for the first time at No.43. She briefly broke the Top 100 for the first time in May, but in mid-September had fallen back to No.136.
Former No.44 Ann Li enjoyed a resurgence in Merida by reaching her third career WTA final -- and first since winning Tenerife 2021. The 24-year-old American jumps 18 places from No.111 to No.93, returning to the Top 100 for the first time since October 2022.
In Hong Kong, Katie Boulter reached her third final of the season and climbs six to a new career high of No.23.
Other notable rankings movements
Laura Siegemund, +18 to No.83: Last week, the 36-year-old German dipped out of the Top 100 for the first time in over a year, but a run to the Jiujiang semifinals reversed that.
Sonay Kartal, +7 to No.88: Monastir champion Kartal reaches a new career high after making the Hamburg ITF W75 final last week.
Anastasia Zakharova, +7 to No.106: Zakharova extended her winning streak to 12 matches by reaching her first WTA quarterfinal in Hong Kong. She rises to a new career high.
Polina Kudermetova, +19 to No.114: Kudermetova reached her first WTA semifinal in Merida, a month after making the Seoul quarterfinals. The 21-year-old reaches a new career high.
Anca Todoni, +21 to No.117: Last week in Santa Cruz, the powerful 20-year-old Romanian collected her second WTA 125 title of the season. She's now just two spots off the peak of No.115 she set in August.
Mananchaya Sawangkaew, +13 to No.134: The Thai No.1 backed up her first WTA quarterfinal two weeks ago in Guangzhou with her second in Jiujiang, which was only her fourth WTA main draw. The 22-year-old rises to a new career high.
Emiliana Arango, +55 to No.183: Until last week, 2024 had been a season to forget for Arango. The 23-year-old Colombian had compiled just a 16-27 record and slid from her career high of No.109 last November down to No.234. But Arango turned her form round in Santa Cruz with a run to her first WTA 125 final.
Alina Korneeva, +70 to No.184: Former junior No.1 Korneeva had seemed on the verge of a breakthrough after qualifying for her first major at the Australian Open in January and rising to No.128 the following month -- only to be sidelined between February and September with a wrist surgery. Still only 17, Korneeva has come back strongly, and in Merida last week, made her first semifinal.
Louisa Chirico, +44 to No.186: Last week in Toronto, former No.58 Chirico won her second ITF W75 title of the season.
Kayla Cross, +39 to No.273: Canada's Cross, a two-time Grand Slam girls' doubles finalist in 2022, reached her second ITF W75 final of the season last week in Toronto. The 19-year-old enters the Top 300 for the first time.
Emerson Jones, +158 to No.426: Jones, the junior No.1, captured her first pro title last week at the Sydney ITF W75. The 16-year-old Australian rockets into the Top 500 for the first time.
Nina Stojanovic, +129 to No.431: Former No.81 Stojanovic returned from an 18-month injury layoff in May and won the Kursumlijska Banja ITF W35 in her second tournament back. Last week, the 28-year-old Serb reached her first WTA quarterfinal since Nottingham 2021 in Merida.
Anastasiya Lopata, +163 to No.579: University of Georgia student Lopata won the Hilton Head Island ITF W35 two weeks ago in just her fourth pro tournament of 2024. The 19-year-old Ukrainian reaches a new career high.
Zheng Saisai, +292 to No.696: Former No.34 Zheng, who was sidelined for the whole of 2022 and 2023, defeated Jana Fett in Jiujiang to notch her first victory at any level since Linz 2021.
