Rankings Watch: Anisimova makes Top 20 debut, Ostapenko back in Top 30

3m read 2mo ago

Jimmie48/WTA

Last week saw the Hologic WTA Tour's season of WTA 1000 tournaments kick off with the Qatar TotalEnergies Open. A number of early upsets paved the way to the fourth ever WTA 1000 final between two unseeded players -- though neither champion Amanda Anisimova

nor runner-up are exactly unknown quantities.

Anisimova's big-stage breakthrough came at the age of just 17, when the American made the 2019 Roland Garros semifinals. Later that year, she would reach No. 21 in the rankings -- which would remain her career high for over half a decade. In 2021, she slumped to a low of No. 86, but in 2022 surged back up to No. 22.

However, in 2023 Anisimova took a seven-month sabbatical from the sport for mental health reasons. When she returned at the start of 2024, she was ranked No. 373. But her form since coming back has been at a consistently high level. Following her breakthrough appearance in the Toronto WTA 1000 final last August, Anisimova has now achieved her first title at this level in Doha. This week, Anisimova moves up 23 places from No. 41 to crack the Top 20 of the PIF WTA Rankings for the first time at No. 18.

This time last year, former Roland Garros champion Ostapenko had just re-established herself in the Top 10 after a five-year gap. But she struggled with injury in the second half of the year, ending her singles season in September due to an abdominal issue. Last week, having not won consecutive matches since Wimbledon, she fell out of the Top 30 for the first time since 2021.

But the Latvian roared back in style in Doha, dropping just four games in each of her matches against Jasmine Paolini

, and (against whom she now owns a 5-0 record). The six-year, 321-day gap between Ostapenko's last WTA 1000 final at Miami 2018 and Doha 2024 is the longest since the format's inception. She's rewarded with an 11-spot jump from No. 37 to No. 26.

Arango resurgent, Branstine breaks through in Cancun

Colombia's Emiliana Arango

won her first WTA 125 title last week in Cancun and moves up 36 places to No. 133. The 24-year-old reached her career high of No. 109 in November 2023, but had fallen to No. 234 by October 2024. However, a run to the Santa Cruz WTA 125 final in October has spearheaded a surge back up the rankings.

Cancun runner-up Carson Branstine

enjoyed a breakthrough week, defeating and en route to her first WTA 125 final and rising 65 places to a new career high of No. 207. The Canadian was a top junior, where she was ranked No. 4 in the world and won the 2017 Australian Open and Roland Garros girls' doubles titles alongside . Following a successful college tennis career at Texas A&M University, Branstine compiled a 43-15 record in 2024, including three ITF titles, in her first full pro season. Unranked in November 2023, she ended 2024 at No. 252.

Other notable rankings movements

Mirra Andreeva

View Profile , +1 to No. 14: The 17-year-old made the second round of Doha, and inches up to a new career high.

Ekaterina Alexandrova

View Profile , +4 to No. 26: Linz champion Alexandrova continued her momentum into Doha, where she upset in a second-round thriller en route to the semifinals. Alexandrova tied her career-best winning streak of eight matches.

Rebecca Sramkova

View Profile , +4 to No. 42: Sramkova took out to reach the Doha last 16, and hits a new career high this week.

Sofia Kenin

View Profile , +17 to No. 56: Kenin also reached the last 16 of Doha, and is back up to her highest ranking since September.

Alycia Parks

View Profile , +16 to No. 74: Parks qualified for Doha, then upset in the first round to notch her first Top 20 win since 2023 (and fifth overall).

Cristina Bucsa

View Profile , +16 to No. 100: Bucsa also backed up qualifying Doha with a Top 20 upset in the first round, edging in a three-set thriller.

Clervie Ngounoue

View Profile , +37 to No. 253: The 18-year-old American won her second career ITF W50 event last week in Birmingham, and rises to a new career high.

Alisa Oktiabreva, +215 to No. 597: A top 20 junior in 2023 at the age of just 14, Oktiabreva was sidelined with an injury for almost the entirety of 2024. She returned at ITF W15 level in December and has compiled a 20-2 record in her first four tournaments back. This year, the 16-year-old has played two ITF W35 events, qualifying and reaching the Esch-sur-Alzette semifinals in January before winning Antalya as a qualifier two weeks ago.

Alex Macpherson