Rankings Watch: Anisimova makes Top 3 debut, Bucsa breaks Top 50

The 2026 WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz season kicks off this week with tournaments in Brisbane and Auckland, as well as the United Cup team competition. But while there were no tour-level events last week, the latest edition of the PIF WTA Rankings nonetheless features a number of key movements.

This is owing to the calendar shift that means the 2026 season is beginning a week later than the 2025 season did. Accordingly, points from the 2025 editions of Brisbane, Auckland and the United Cup have already fallen off, leading to several players reaching new career highs this week. The most significant milestones in the Top 100 include:

Amanda Anisimova, +1 to No. 3: The Wimbledon and US Open finalist enters the Top 3 for the first time, moving above Coco Gauff to also take the mantle of American No. 1. Anisimova is the 61st player to reach the Top 3 in WTA rankings history

Linda Noskova, +1 to No. 12: The Czech No. 1, who reached her first WTA 1000 final in Beijing last October, inches up to a new career high.

Cristina Bucsa, +1 to No. 50: Bucsa notched two key milestones in the second half of 2025, reaching the fourth round of a major for the first time at the US Open and then making her first WTA final in Hong Kong. The Spaniard is rewarded this week with her Top 50 debut.

Oleksandra Oliynykova, +6 to No. 90: A two-time WTA 125 champion in 2025, Oliynykova -- who has yet to play a tour-level main draw -- scores the biggest climb in this week's Top 100 and moves to a new career high.