The opening week of the 2025 season featured standout performances from seasoned stars and unexpected contenders alike, spanning the Brisbane WTA 500, Auckland WTA 250 and United Cup team events.
In Brisbane, Aryna Sabalenka captured her first title as a reigning World No.1, and 18th overall. But it was runner-up Polina Kudermetova who delivered the most eye-catching breakthrough of the week, coming out of qualifying and going all the way to her first Hologic WTA Tour final. Kudermetova notched seven straight wins in Brisbane, including her first over a Top 10 player in the third round against Daria Kasatkina.
The 21-year-old is rewarded with the biggest leap in the Top 100 of this week's PIF WTA Rankings. Kudermetova soars 50 places from No.107 to make her Top 100 debut at No.57 -- overtaking older sister Veronika, who is at No.77, for the first time.
Buoyed by family support, Kudermetova sisters both make Seoul quarterfinals
A former Top 5 junior, the younger Kudermetova had stalled in the Top 200 range ever since November 2022, but a quarterfinal run in Seoul last year followed by a semifinal showing in Merida were the first signs she was ready for a new level.
New career highs for Andreeva, Putintseva; Osaka returns to Top 50
Two players in this week's Top 30 hit new career highs at different stages of their careers. Mirra Andreeva's rapid upward trajectory has barely paused in her young career, and the 17-year-old continued it with a semifinal run in Brisbane. She climbs up one place to No.15.
Yulia Putintseva, 29, first reached her previous career high of No.27 in February 2017, and made her way back up to it in September 2020. This week, the Kazakhstani player finally exceeds it. A third-round showing in Brisbane enables Putintseva to move up four spots to No.25.
Exactly one year after returning from maternity leave, former World No.1 Naomi Osaka reached the first final of her comeback in Auckland. Though she was forced to retire with an abdominal injury in the title match, the four-time major champion climbs seven places to No.50, returning to the Top 50 for the first time since January 2023.
Title runs boost Tauson, Ito
The beneficiary of Osaka's retirement in the Auckland final was a resurgent Clara Tauson, who also saved match point in the second round against Sofia Kenin and upset No.1 seed Madison Keys in the quarterfinals. The 22-year-old Dane collected her third career title, first since Luxembourg 2021 and first outdoors. Tauson, who reached a career-high ranking of No.33 in February 2022, is steadily climbing back toward that milestone. This week, she moves up nine spots to No.41.
Drawing inspiration: Aoi Ito’s creative mind fuels her tennis success
Aoi Ito, 20, turned heads last autumn by making the Osaka semifinals on her WTA debut, and the Japanese player continued her momentum by winning her first WTA 125 title in Canberra last week. Ito's unorthodox game, based around an array of spins and terrific feel, meant that she did not drop a set all week, including a semifinal upset of No.1 seed and defending champion Nuria Parrizas Diaz. Ito rises 17 places to a new career high of No.109.
Other notable rankings movements
Anhelina Kalinina, +7 to No.48: The Ukrainian returns to the Top 50 after reaching the Brisbane semifinals. Kalinina's run included a second-round upset of Diana Shnaider, her 12th career Top 20 win.
Ashlyn Krueger, +10 to No.54: The 20-year-old American upset Anna Kalinskaya in Brisbane for her third Top 20 win, and went on to reach the first WTA 500 quarterfinal of her career.
Alycia Parks, +14 to No.68: Having ended 2024 by winning the Angers WTA 125, Parks extended her winning streak to eight by reaching the last four in Auckland -- her second tour-level semifinal and first on outdoor hard courts.
Kimberly Birrell, +14 to No.99: Local wild card Birrell stunned No.2 seed Emma Navarro in the Brisbane second round to notch her first Top 10 win and went on to reach her first WTA 500 quarterfinal. The 26-year-old Australian reaches a new career high, returning to the Top 100 for the first time since October 2023.
Robin Montgomery, +12 to No.105: The 20-year-old American returns to her career high after reaching her first WTA semifinal in Auckland.
Wei Sijia, +15 to No.119: China's Wei made the first WTA 125 final of her career in Canberra, falling to Ito in a repeat of last November's Takasaki ITF W100 title match. The 21-year-old reaches a new career high.
Gao Xinyu, +29 to No.146: Gao, 27, was one of the most impressive surprises of the first week. Having previously only notched one tour-level win (at Hua Hin 2 last September) and one Top 100 victory (over Veronica Cepede Royg in 2017), Gao upset Beatriz Haddad Maia and Laura Siegemund in an unbeaten United Cup campaign. The Chinese player enters the Top 150 for the first time.
Kyoka Okamura, +43 to No.181: Last week was an unusual one for Japan's Okamura. The 29-year-old reached the Nonthaburi ITF W75 final thanks to consecutive quarterfinal and semifinal walkovers. On the day of the final, she gained the last direct entry spot into Australian Open qualifying at the last minute thanks to Barbora Krejcikova's withdrawal, then promptly upset No.1 seed Kathinka Von Deichman to lift the biggest trophy of her career to date. Okamura makes her Top 200 debut as a result.
Claire Liu, +20 to No.249: Former No.52 Liu returned to action last week following a seven-month mental health break. The American reached the Nonthaburi ITF W75 semifinals before withdrawing due to a tweaked neck.
Julia Grabher, +57 to No.413: Former No.54 Grabher was the first player to win from match point down in the 2025 season, defeating Leyre Romero Gormaz in Auckland for her first tour-level win since Cleveland 2023. The Austrian has been on the comeback trail from a wrist injury since March 2024.
Belinda Bencic, +68 to No.421: Former Olympic gold medallist Bencic compiled a 1-1 record in United Cup action, her first tour-level event since returning from maternity leave last October.
