Year-end rankings wrap: A look at the new No.1, Top 10 shifts and much more

With the conclusion of the WTA Finals Riyadh presented by PIF, the regular 2024 season officially comes to a close with the year-end rankings. Click here to view the full breakdown.

Top Rankings and Milestones

A new year-end No.1 is crowned

Aryna Sabalenka became the 16th year-end No.1 in rankings history after winning two major titles in a season for the first time -- the Australian Open and US Open. Sabalenka first rose to World No.1 in September 2023 but was edged out by Iga Swiatek for the year-end status in the final week of that season. This time, with various scenarios at play, Sabalenka maintained her lead at the WTA Finals in Riyadh, resulting in a year-end swap between her and Swiatek in the No.1 and No.2 positions.

This marks the third time in the history of the rankings the year-end No.1 and No.2 have changed places in consecutive years, following Stefanie Graf and Monica Seles (1990-91), and Lindsay Davenport and Martina Hingis (1998-99).

The year-end Top 10 by the numbers

1. Aryna Sabalenka (+1 from No.2 in the 2023 year-end rankings)

Titles: 4 (Australian Open, Cincinnati, US Open, Wuhan)
Finalist: 3 (Brisbane, Madrid, Rome)
Win-loss record: 56-14

2. Iga Swiatek (-1 from No.1)

Titles: 5 (Doha, Indian Wells, Madrid, Rome, Roland Garros)
Finalist: 0
Win-loss record: 61-9 (59-9 in WTA main draws)

3. Coco Gauff (+0 from No.3)

Titles: 3 (Auckland, Beijing, WTA Finals Riyadh)
Finalist: 0
Win-loss record: 54-17

4. Jasmine Paolini (+26 from No.30)

Titles: 1 (Dubai)
Finalist: 2 (Roland Garros, Wimbledon)
Win-loss record: 40-20

5. Zheng Qinwen (+10 from No.15)

Titles: 3 (Palermo, Paris Olympic Games, Tokyo)
Finalist: 3 (Australian Open, Wuhan, WTA Finals Riyadh)
Win-loss record: 52-18 (50-18 in WTA main draws)

6. Elena Rybakina (-2 from No.4)

Titles: 3 (Brisbane, Abu Dhabi, Stuttgart)
Finalist: 2 (Doha, Miami)
Win-loss record: 42-11

7. Jessica Pegula (-2 from No.5)

Titles: 2 (Berlin, Toronto)
Finalist: 2 (Cincinnati, US Open)
Win-loss record: 39-16 (37-16 in WTA main draws)

8. Emma Navarro (+30 from No.38)

Titles: 1 (Hobart)
Finalist: 0
Win-loss record: 53-24 (45-22 in WTA main draws)

9. Daria Kasatkina (+9 from No.18)

Titles: 2 (Eastbourne, Ningbo)
Finalist: 4 (Adelaide, Abu Dhabi, Charleston, Seoul)
Win-loss record: 40-23

10. Barbora Krejcikova (+0 from No.10)

Titles: 1 (Wimbledon)
Finalist: 0
Win-loss record: 21-16

Top 10 quick hits

Sabalenka's five consecutive year-end Top 10 finishes (dating back to 2020) comprise the longest active such streak in the current Top 10. She's followed by Swiatek (four straight years since 2021), Gauff (three straight years since 2022) and Pegula (three straight years since 2022). This year also marks a third non-consecutive Top 10 finish for both Kasatkina and Krejcikova.

Gauff, 20, is the youngest player in the year-end Top 10. Pegula, 30, is the oldest.

Three players made their Top 10 debuts in 2024, compared to four in 2023: Zheng Qinwen (Jan. 29), Jasmine Paolini (June 10) and Emma Navarro (Sep. 9).

Zheng became the second Chinese player to reach the Top 10 (and subsequently Top 5) following two-time major champion Li Na, who peaked at No.2 in 2014. Paolini became the fifth Italian player ever to reach the Top 10, and third to reach the Top 5. Her year-end position matches the all-time career high by an Italian woman of No.4, first set by Francesca Schiavone in 2011.

Gauff (No.3) and Krejcikova (No.10) are the only players in the Top 100 whose 2024 year-end ranking is the same as their 2023 year-end ranking. Gauff did not go higher than No.2 or lower than No.6 during the year; Krejcikova did not go higher than No.8 but was as low as No.32 in June.

New Entrants and Breakthroughs

Top 20, 50 and 100 milestones

Eighteen players broke the Top 100 for the first time in 2024, compared to 17 in 2023. They were: Renata Zarazua (Jan. 8), Brenda Fruhvirtova (Jan. 29), Maria Timofeeva (Jan. 29), Arina Rodionova (Feb. 5), Erika Andreeva (Feb. 19), Maria Lourdes Carle (Mar. 4), Hailey Baptiste (March 18), Jessica Bouzas Maneiro (April 15), Julia Riera (April 22), Moyuka Uchijima (May 20), Rebecca Sramkova (May 20), Lulu Sun (Jul. 15), Chloe Paquet (Jul. 29), McCartney Kessler (Aug. 12), Olivia Gadecki (Sept. 16), Sonay Kartal (Sept. 16), Yuliia Starodubtseva (Oct. 7), Suzan Lamens (Oct. 21) and Zeynep Sonmez (Nov. 4).

Zarazua was the second Mexican player and Sonmez was the second Turkish player to reach the Top 100, following Angelica Gavaldon and Cagla Buyukakcay respectively. Sun was the fifth player representing New Zealand to be ranked inside the Top 100.

At the age of 34 years and 52 days, Rodionova became the oldest player ever to make her Top 100 debut.

Photos: All the Top 100 breakthroughs of 2024

Nine players broke the Top 50 for the first time in 2024, compared to 15 in 2023. They were: Anna Kalinskaya (Jan. 29), Clara Burel (Feb. 5), Magdalena Frech (Feb. 26), Yuan Yue (March 4), Diane Parry (April 8), Diana Shnaider (May 20), Viktoriya Tomova (July 1), Lulu Sun (Aug. 26) and Rebecca Sramkova (Nov. 4).

Six players broke the Top 20 for the first time in 2024, compared to three in 2023. They were: Jasmine Paolini (Feb. 26), Emma Navarro (March 8), Marta Kostyuk (May 6), Anna Kalinskaya (May 24), Diana Shnaider (Aug. 12) and Mirra Andreeva (Oct. 7).

Major Rankings Surges

Eleven players in the year-end Top 100 have improved their ranking by 100+ spots from their 2023 year-end position (the week of Nov. 6):

**** Naomi Osaka (UNR to No.59)
+464, Ajla Tomljanovic (No.549 to No.85)
+323, Amanda Anisimova (No.359 to No.36) 
+227, Emma Raducanu (No.285 to No.58)
+179, Lulu Sun (No.219 to No.40)
+164, Caroline Wozniacki (No.236 to No.72)
+163, McCartney Kessler (No.231 to No.68)
+146, Sonay Kartal (No.235 to No.89)
+131, Suzan Lamens (No.218 to No.87)
+125, Moyuka Uchijima (No.181 to No.56)
+105, Renata Zarazua (No.165 to No.60)

Seventeen players in the year-end Top 50 have improved their ranking by 30+ spots from their 2023 year-end position:

+323, Amanda Anisimova (No.359 to No.36) 
+179, Lulu Sun (No.219 to No.40)
+87, Rebecca Sramkova (No.129 to No.43)
+73, Dayana Yastremska (No.103 to No.33)
+63, Anna Kalinskaya (No.77 to No.14)
+61, Yuan Yue (No.108 to No.47)
+55, Diane Parry (No.105 to No.50)
+54, Paula Badosa (No.66 to No.12)
+47, Diana Shnaider (No.60 to No.13)
+47, Viktoriya Tomova (No.96 to No.49)
+44, Danielle Collins (No.55 to No.11)
+40, Yulia Putintseva (No.69 to No.29)
+38, Magdalena Frech (No.63 to No.25)
+34, Katie Boulter (No.58 to No.24)
+31, Elina Avanesyan (No.75 to No.44)
+30, Mirra Andreeva (No.46 to No.16)
+30, Emma Navarro (No.38 to No.8)

Doubles Highlights

A familiar face finishes on top again

Katerina Siniakova is no stranger to the year-end No.1 doubles ranking. This year marks her fourth finish at the summit, tying her with Cara Black and Liezel Huber. Only five-time year-end No.1 Martina Navratilova has ended more seasons in the top spot.

But this year was still a new chapter for Siniakova. In her previous No.1 seasons, she played predominantly with fellow Czech Barbora Krejcikova, with whom she won her first seven Grand Slam titles. They ended their regular partnership at the end of 2023, which Siniakova ended at No.10. In 2024, Siniakova won her first two majors with different partners -- Coco Gauff at Roland Garros and Taylor Townsend at Wimbledon.

The year-end doubles Top 10 is rounded out by No.2 Erin Routliffe, No.3 Gabriela Dabrowski, No.4 Lyudmyla Kichenok, No.5 Taylor Townsend, No.6 Jelena Ostapenko, No.7 Hsieh Su-Wei, No.8 Sara Errani, No.9 Elise Mertens and No.10 Jasmine Paolini.

Errani, who spent 87 weeks at World No.1 between 2012 and 2015, makes the biggest jump into the year-end Top 10 -- up 117 places from No.125 in the 2023 year-end rankings.

Rising Stars and Generational Talent

Generation standouts

Eight players aged 21 or under have ended 2024 in the Top 100: 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva (No.16); 19-year-old Linda Noskova (No.26); 20-year-olds Coco Gauff (No.3), Diana Shnaider (No.13), Ashlyn Krueger (No.65) and Erika Andreeva (No.67); and 21-year-olds Clara Tauson (No.52) and Emma Raducanu (No.58).

At the other end of the age spectrum, 13 players aged 31 or over have ended 2024 in the Top 100: 36-year-old Laura Siegemund (No.84); 35-year-old Victoria Azarenka (No.20); 34-year-olds Sorana Cirstea (No.70), Caroline Wozniacki (No.72) and Irina-Camelia Begu (No.83); 33-year-olds Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (No.30), Arantxa Rus (No.81) and Nuria Parrizas Diaz (No.98); 32-year-olds Magda Linette (No.38) and Karolina Pliskova (No.41); and 31-year-olds Caroline Garcia (No.51), Sloane Stephens (No.79) and Ajla Tomljanovic (No.85).

Next to break through?

The 10 highest-ranked players in the 2024 year-end rankings who have yet to crack the Top 50 are No.53 Olga Danilovic, No.55 Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, No.56 Moyuka Uchijima, No.60 Renata Zarazua, No.62 Katie Volynets, No.64 Kamilla Rakhimova, No.65 Ashlyn Krueger, No.67 Erika Andreeva, No.68 McCartney Kessler and No.71 Cristina Bucsa.

By the numbers: The 2023 year-end rankings

The 10 highest-ranked players in the 2024 year-end rankings who have yet to crack the Top 100 are No.107 Robin Montgomery, No.109 Anastasia Zakharova, No.113 Anca Todoni, No.117 Polina Kudermetova, No.119 Maya Joint, No.121 Darja Semenistaja, No.124 Jessika Ponchet, No.125 Talia Gibson, No.127 Marina Stakusic and No.130 Eva Lys. All are aged 22 or under except Ponchet, 28.

Top ranked by birth year

The 10 highest-ranked players from each U21 birth year (from 2003) in the 2024 year-end rankings are as follows. Their 2023 position is in brackets.

2003
117. Polina Kudermetova (+40 from No.157)
131. Wei Sijia (CHN) (+140 from No.271)
136. Maria Timofeeva (-10 from No.126)
145. Antonia Ruzic (CRO) (+123 from No.268)
150. Elsa Jacquemot (FRA) (+17 to No.167)
176. Oksana Selekhmeteva (+243 from No.419)
188. Lois Boisson (FRA) (+153 from No.341)
212. Noma Noha Akugue (GER) (-41 from No.171)
248. Hina Inoue (USA) (+270 from No.518)
262. Tatiana Prozorova (-49 from No.213)

2004
3. Coco Gauff (USA) (+0 from No.3)
13. Diana Shnaider (+47 from No.60)
26. Linda Noskova (CZE) (+15 from No.41)
65. Ashlyn Krueger (USA) (+16 from No.81)
67. Erika Andreeva (+75 from No.142)
107. Robin Montgomery (USA) (+80 from No.187)
113. Anca Todoni (ROU) (+137 from No.250)
125. Talia Gibson (AUS) (+176 from No.301)
127. Marina Stakusic (CAN) (+131 from No.258)
154. Solana Sierra (ARG) (+58 from No.212)

2005
138. Ella Seidel (GER) (+57 from No.195)
151. Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva (AND) (+152 from No.303)
156. Taylah Preston (AUS) (+88 from No.244)
158. Alexandra Eala (PHI) (+47 from No.205)
173. Celine Naef (SUI) (-34 from No.139)
178. Elena Pridankina (+252 from No.430)
181. Lola Radivojevic (SRB) (+95 from No.276)
200. Sayaka Ishii (JPN) (+271 from No.471)
201. Linda Fruhvirtova (CZE) (-112 from No.89)
216. Shi Han (CHN) (+343 from No.559)

2006
119. Maya Joint (AUS) (+654 from No.773)
142. Sara Bejlek (CZE) (+48 from No.190)
162. Sara Saito (JPN) (+200 from No.362)
317. Kaitlin Quevedo (ESP) (+409 from No.726)
325. Clervie Ngounoue (USA) (+186 from No.511)
350. Victoria Mboko (CAN) (-27 from No.323)
394. Mia Ristic (SRB) (-41 from No.353)
478. Ren Yufei (CHN) (+68 from No.546)
488. Nikola Bartunkova (CZE) (-218 from No.270)
490. Luisina Giovannini (ARG) (+267 from No.757)

2007
16. Mirra Andreeva (+30 from No.46)
163. Brenda Fruhvirtova (CZE) (-30 from No.133)
177. Alina Korneeva (-21 from No.156)
206. Iva Jovic (USA) (+441 from No.647)
261. Tereza Valentova (CZE) (+419 from No.680)
294. Akasha Urhobo (USA) (+548 from No.842)
375. Renata Jamrichova (SVK) (+235 from No.610)
497. Veronika Podrez (UKR) (+44 from No.541)
506. Mingge Xu (GBR) (+239 from No.745)
542. Rositsa Dencheva (BUL) (+554 from No.1096)

2008
342. Laura Samson (CZE) (UNR)
427. Emerson Jones (AUS) (+446 from No.873)
577. Mia Pohankova (SVK) (+371 from No.948)
678. Mika Stojsavljevic (GBR) (UNR)
720. Rada Zolotareva (+545 from No.1265)
730. Zhang Ruien (CHN) (UNR)
801. Julie Pastikova (CZE) (UNR)
808. Alena Kovackova (CZE) (UNR)
814. Candela Vazquez (ARG) (+88 from No.902)
860. Wakana Sonobe (JPN) (+228 from No.1060)

2009
567. Julieta Pareja (USA) (UNR)
613. Hannah Klugman (GBR) (+46 from No.659)
732. Ksenia Efremova (FRA) (UNR)
775. Mariella Thamm (GER) (UNR)
843. Luna Vujovic (SRB) (UNR)
1002. Annika Penickova (USA) (UNR)
1178. Jahnie Van Zyl (RSA) (UNR)
1197. Kristina Penickova (USA) (UNR)
1265. Giulia Safina Popa (ROU) (UNR)

2010
1302. Nauhany Vitoria Leme Da Silva (BRA) (UNR)