This week, two players broke new ground in the latest WTA rankings after winning the highest-level titles of their careers.
On Sunday, Katie Boulter took home her first WTA 500 trophy, holding off Marta Kostyuk in the San Diego final. Last April, Boulter was ranked No.154, but her career to that point had been marked by a succession of injury breaks.
But Boulter came through on home soil in June, winning her first WTA 250 title on the grass of Nottingham and returning to the Top 100. She then reached the third round of the US Open and cracked the Top 50, a string of success that led her to receiving a nomination for Most Improved Player in 2023.
Like fellow nominee Jasmine Paolini, the champion in Dubai two weeks ago, Boulter has built on that success to reach even greater heights. She rose 22 spots (49 to 27) in the rankings with her title-run in San Diego, cracking the Top 30 for the first time.
In Austin, Yuan Yue defeated Wang Xiyu in the fourth all-Chinese final in tour history to claim her first title. The big-hitting 25-year-old was ranked as low as No.146 last October but turned her form around in Seoul by reaching her first tour-level final. Yuan backed that up by reaching three consecutive ITF W100 finals to end 2023.
Yuan, who also reached the Hobart semifinals in January, climbs 19 places from No.68 to No.49 and is into the Top 50 for the first time.
Other notable rankings movements
Wang Xiyu (+12, from No.64 to No.52): After reaching the Austin final, the 22-year-old is now just three places off her career high of No.49. Wang won her first WTA title in Guangzhou last September.
Maria Lourdes Carle (+2, from No.101 to No.99): The University of Georgia alumna makes her Top 100 debut this week. Between November and February, Carle compiled a 22-6 record at WTA 125 and ITF level; this included her first WTA 125 final in Buenos Aires last December and a semifinal run at the Puerto Vallarta WTA 125 two weeks ago. The 24-year-old Carle becomes the sixth Argentinian woman to be ranked inside the Top 100 this century following Clarisa Fernández, Paola Suárez, Mariana Díaz Oliva, Gisela Dulko and Nadia Podoroska.
Daria Saville (+32, from No.148 to No.116): The Australian's comeback from the ACL injury that sidelined her between September of 2022 and June of 2023 took another step forward with a quarterfinal run in San Diego. It was the first time Saville had reached the last eight at WTA 500 level or above since Miami 2022. The 29-year-old was ranked as low as No.322 last August.
Taylah Preston (+15, from No.153 to No.138): Preston backed up a first WTA 125 final in Puerto Vallarta two weeks ago by upsetting Magdalena Frech in the first round of San Diego. It was the 18-year-old Australian's first tour-level win and first victory over a Top 50 player. She reaches a new career high as a result.
Lucija Ciric Bagaric (+17, from No.231 to No.214): Two months into 2024, Ciric Bagaric remains unbeaten. The 20-year-old Croat's perfect 18-0 record includes three ITF W35 titles in Tunisia -- helping her rise to a new career high.
Marina Stakusic (+62, from No.283 to No.221): A trio of Top 100 victories in last November's Billie Jean King Cup Finals put Stakusic on the map and were instrumental to Canada ultimately winning the title. In her first tournament since then, the 19-year-old qualified and reached the second round of San Diego. She climbs to a new career high.
Anastasiia Gureva (+94, from No.475 to No.381): The 2023 US Open girls' doubles champion won her first ITF W50 title in Trnava last week and enters the Top 400 for the first time.
Anastasija Sevastova (+101, from No.485 to No.384): The former US Open semifinalist has reached the quarterfinals in all four of her tournaments since returning from maternity leave. Sevastova's run in Austin last week featured a second-round upset of Sloane Stephens, her first Top 50 win since 2021 -- but ended in heartbreak as a knee injury forced the Latvian to retire while leading Anna Karolina Schmiedlova in the last eight. Sevastova withdrew from Indian Wells this week.
Tereza Valentova (+61, from No.618 to No.557): The 2023 US Open girls' finalist is unbeaten in 2024 after collecting her first two ITF W15 titles in Monastir. The 17-year-old Czech's 10-match winning streak sees her rise to a new career high.
