Rankings Watch: Teenagers Mboko, Jovic, Valentova up to career highs
The second week of the 2026 WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz season was almost all about youth.
At the WTA 500 in Adelaide, 18-year-old Mirra Andreeva claimed the title over 19-year-old Victoria Mboko in the first all-teenage final at tour level since Emma Raducanu defeated Leylah Fernandez at the 2021 US Open. Meanwhile, 18-year-old Iva Jovic -- the youngest player in the Top 100 -- reached her second career final at the WTA 250 in Hobart, falling to qualifier Elisabetta Cocciaretto.
Former No. 5 Andreeva collected her first trophy since winning Indian Wells last March, and climbs one place to No. 7. Cocciaretto -- who was previously the Hobart runner-up in 2023 -- took her first title since Lausanne 2023, and first on hard courts, and jumps 24 spots from No. 80 to No. 56. Meanwhile, Mboko and Jovic are among a slew of young players reaching new career highs in the latest edition of the PIF WTA Rankings:
Victoria Mboko, +1 to No. 16: This time last year, Mboko was ranked No. 337. She's still only competed in 15 WTA main draws, and Adelaide marked her third career final.
Iva Jovic, +3 to No. 27: This time last year, Jovic was ranked No. 191. She's started 2026 with a 7-2 record so far, following her Auckland semifinal with a run to the Hobart final.
Maya Joint, +1 to No. 31: On home soil, Joint reached the Adelaide quarterfinals -- her third run to the last eight of a WTA 500 event.
Tereza Valentova, +6 to No. 54: Valentova, 18, qualified and reached the second round of Adelaide.
Antonia Ruzic, +6 to No. 65: Croatia's Ruzic, 23, reached her first tour-level semifinal in Hobart.
Australians Birrell, Preston on the rebound
Both Adelaide and Hobart saw a local wild card deliver a career-best semifinal run. In Adelaide, Kimberly Birrell -- a two-time WTA 250 finalist at Osaka 2024 and Chennai 2025 -- made the last four of a WTA 500 event for the first time, defeating Anastasia Potapova and Jaqueline Cristian en route. The 27-year-old, who has a career high of No. 60, returns to the Top 100 this week, climbing 31 places to No. 76.
In Hobart, 20-year-old Taylah Preston reached her first tour-level semifinal via her first Top 30 win, a quarterfinal upset of Emma Raducanu. Preston had previously hit a career high of No. 134 in March 2024 after reaching the Puerto Vallarta WTA 125 final and winning a round in San Diego, but had slumped down to No. 266 last September. She's back in the Top 200 this week, leaping 43 places to No. 161.
Other notable rankings movements
Yulia Putintseva, +11 to No. 94: Last week, former No. 20 Putintseva's decade-plus consecutive streak inside the Top 100 ended as she fell out of it for the first time since July 2015. The 31-year-old has wasted no time in reclaiming her spot after qualifying and reaching the second round of Adelaide.
Lisa Pigato, +30 to No. 208: The 22-year-old Italian started 2026 by reaching the final at the first of two Nonthaburi ITF W75 events. She went one better in the second, lifting the trophy and enabling a rise to a new career high.
Celine Naef, +22 to No. 280: Swiss 20-year-old Naef, who hit a career high of No. 121 in 2023, collected her first ITF title since 2024 at the Manchester W50 last week via victories over former Top 100 players Mona Barthel and Oceane Dodin.
Elizara Yaneva, +46 to No. 319: Bulgarian 18-year-old Yaneva reached her third ITF W50 final since September last week in Manchester, scoring wins over Katherine Sebov and Mika Stojsavljevic. She's up to a new career high.
Angella Okutoyi, +62 to No. 414: Kenya's Okutoyi, 21, has opened 2026 with a 10-match winning streak after claiming back-to-back ITF W35 titles on home soil in Nairobi. The Auburn University college player -- who is already the highest-ranked player ever from her country -- rises to a new career high.
Vera Zvonareva, +62 to No. 579: Former World No. 2 Zvonareva returned to action after a 19-month absence last month, immediately reaching the Dubai ITF W100 final. Last week, the 41-year-old made the final round of Adelaide qualifying (via a retirement win over former doubles partner Laura Siegemund) and is now just one place beneath 45-year-old former World No. 1 Venus Williams.
Oceane Dodin, +142 to No. 682: Former No. 46 Dodin missed the first nine months of 2025 due to an inner ear condition. Last week, the Frenchwoman reached the first semifinal of her comeback as a qualifier at the Manchester ITF W50.