Rankings Watch: Noskova makes Top 10 debut, leads Czech milestones
The second week of the 2026 Grass-Court Swing on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz was all about Czechia. The country's rich history on the surface -- including two of the last three Wimbledon champions -- shows no sign of letting up, and Czech players also dominate this week's significant milestones in the latest edition of the PIF WTA Rankings.
At the Berlin WTA 500, Linda Noskova claimed her second career title, and first on grass, with a blend of fomidable serving, easy power and a sprinkling of finesse. The 21-year-old, who also reached her first WTA 1000 final in Beijing last October, makes her Top 10 debut as a result, climbs three places from No. 13 to No. 10.
Noskova, whose career-best Grand Slam result was a quarterfinal run at the 2024 Australian Open (including a third-round upset of then-World No. 1 Iga Swiatek), becomes the 11th Czech woman to break the Top 10 in rankings history, and the second player to do so in 2026 following Victoria Mboko.
Bouzkova, Bartunkova, Vidmanova join Czech surge
Meanwhile, Marie Bouzkova captured her fourth career title, first on grass and second of 2026 at the Nottingham WTA 250. Though she had never previously reached a grass-court semifinal, her best showing at a major came with a quarterfinal run at Wimbledon 2022. Bouzkova, whose smooth movement on the surface stood out in Nottingham, conceded just one set -- in her last match of the week, defeating Emma Navarro 7-6(5), 4-6, 6-2 in 2 hours and 57 minutes, the longest tour-level final of the year so far. Bouzkova also won the second-longest -- her 2-hour, 50-minute defeat of Panna Udvardy in the Bogota title match.
This week, the 27-year-old rises five places from No. 27 to a new career high of No. 22. Her previous peak was No. 24, which Bouzkova first reached in December 2022 and then again this April.
Rising talent Nikola Bartunkova also made her mark in Berlin as a wild card, upsetting Diana Shnaider and Elise Mertens to reach the quarterfinals, where she led Aryna Sabalenka 6-2, 4-0 before the World No. 1 fought back. Despite that heartbreaker, the 20-year-old can console herself with a Top 50 debut this week -- Bartunkova rises 16 places from No. 62 to No. 46.
This time last year, Bartunkova was ranked No. 446. Next up will be her senior debut at Wimbledon, where she was the junior finalist in 2023.
This week's one Top 100 debut also comes courtesy of a Czech player. Darja Vidmanova claimed the first WTA 125 title of her career in Figueira da Foz, Portugal (on hard courts) and jumps 18 spots from No. 108 to No. 90. University of Georgia alumna Vidmanova, 23, was the 2025 NCAA singles champion and compiled a 33-10 pro record last year, including her first tour-level win in Guadalajara. This year, she was also runner-up at the Oeiras WTA 125 in February, and will make her Grand Slam main-draw debut at Wimbledon.
Vidmanova is the 11th player to break the Top 100 for the first time in 2026, and second Czech following Bartunkova in March.
Oliynykova, McNally make Top 50 debuts
Three players have entered the Top 50 for the first time this week. As well as Bartunkova, Ukraine's Oleksandra Oliynykova and the United States' Caty McNally have now hit that milestone.
Oliynykova was not in action last week, but the 25-year-old inches up two spots to No. 49 to break the Top 50 just over a year after first entering the Top 200 last June. Since then, she has won three WTA 125 titles, reached her first tour-level semifinal in Cluj-Napoca and made the third round of Roland Garros on her tournament debut.
McNally, 24, got as high as No. 54 in March 2023 -- only to fall as low as No. 1,028 in October 2024 after being sidelined for nine months due to an elbow injury that required surgery. She compiled a a 46-21 record in 2025 to climb back into the Top 100, and has kept her form going in 2025. This year, McNally has reached quarterfinals in Ostrava and 's-Hertogenbosch as well as scoring her first Top 10 win, over Victoria Mboko, en route to the Madrid fourth round. Last week, she made the Nottingham second round, and is up four places from No. 54 to No. 50.
Eala returns to Top 30; Parry, Sonmez hit new career highs
Filipina star Alexandra Eala reached her third career tour-level semifinal, and biggest since her breakout run at Miami 2025, in Berlin last week. The 21-year-old notched two Top 10 wins along the way, over Elena Rybakina and Elina Svitolina, taking her overall career record against Top 10 opposition to 6-4. Having set her career high of No. 29 in March, Eala now returns to the Top 30 for the first time since then with a five-place jump to No. 30.
Diane Parry also had a successful week in Berlin, qualifying and defeating Clara Tauson in the first round for her first Top 30 win on grass. The Frenchwoman -- who also made the fourth round at Roland Garros -- vaults 13 places from No. 60 to No. 47, returning to the Top 50 for the first time since November 2024 and setting a new career high.
Also at a brand new peak this week is Zeynep Sonmez. The Turkish 24-year-old qualified in Nottingham, then upset Leylah Fernandez in the first round for her ninth career Top 30 win. Sonmez rises seven places to No. 54.
Sherif, Wang Xiyu, Aksu boosted by WTA 125 runs
Two WTA 125 events were held last week, in Figueira da Foz (on hard courts, won by Vidmanova) and in Brescia (on clay).
Mayar Sherif took the title in Brescia -- her ninth at WTA 125 level, and first since Parma in May 2025 -- dropping only one set en route, to Jennifer Ruggeri in the second round. (Sherif also owns one tour-level title -- Parma 2022.) The Egyptian player jumps 17 spots to No. 110 this week.
Brescia runner-up Wang Xiyu, who made the fourth round of Roland Garros earlier this month as well, extended her 2026 record to 31-5. The Chinese player, who was sidelined for five months in 2025 and 2026 by a shoulder injury, climbs 15 places to No. 86.
Türkiye's Ayla Aksu reached her first WTA 125 final in Figueira da Foz, defeating US Open junior champion Jeline Vandromme in the quarterfinals. The tournament continues a strong season for the 29-year-old, who captured her first ITF W75 title in Porto in February. Aksu soars 56 places to No. 221 this week -- and she's just seven places beneath the career high of No. 214 that she set in September 2017.
Meanwhile, there are new career highs for two first-time WTA 125 semifinalists -- South Korea's Ku Yeonwoo in Figueira da Foz, up 14 places to No. 172, and 19-year-old Bulgarian Elizara Yaneva in Brescia, up 28 places to No. 201.
Other notable rankings movements
Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, +7 to No. 48: The Spaniard, who made the Wimbledon fourth round in 2025, reached her first grass-court quarterfinal in Nottingham last week.
Viktorija Golubic, +12 to No. 64: Former Wimbledon quarterfinalist Golubic qualified and made the semifinals in Nottingham. It was the 33-year-old's first last-four appearance at tour level since Jiujiang last October.
Karolina Pliskova, +13 to No. 74: Former World No. 1 Pliskova's comeback from ankle surgery continued to go strongly as the Czech reached her first tour-level semifinal in exactly two years in Nottingham.
Francesca Curmi, +66 to No. 268: The 23-year-old became the first Maltese player to win an ITF W75 title in Blois, France last week, and rockets to a new career high.
Alevtina Ibragimova, +40 to No. 270: Blois ITF W75 runner-up Ibragimova, 21, also sets a new career high this week.
Lea Ma, +31 to No. 299: Former Top 20 junior and University of Georgia alumna Ma captured the Decatur ITF W35 title two weeks ago. The 25-year-old American makes her Top 300 debut this week.
Hannah Klugman, +97 to No. 412: Klugman, 17, makes her Top 500 debut after reaching the second round of Nottingham as a lucky loser, defeating British compatriot Harriet Dart for her first tour-level victory. Klugman also notched her first career Top 100 win in qualifying over Anastasia Zakharova.
Luna Vujovic, +146 to No. 549: Serbian 16-year-old Vujovic, a former junior No. 8, captured her first ITF W35 title in Casablanca two weeks ago and jumps to a new career high. Vujovic is now the third-highest ranked 2009-born player following No. 381 Julieta Pareja and Klugman.
Nadia Podoroska, +186 to No. 594: Former No. 36 Podoroska was sidelined for 14 months in 2025 and 2026 due to hip and shoulder injuries; when the Argentinian returned to action in March, she was unranked. The 2020 Roland Garros semifinalist has compiled a 22-4 record since coming back, including the San Gregorio ITF W35 title two weeks ago.
Clara Burel, +430 to No. 700: An ACL injury took former No. 42 Burel out of the game for 12 months between April 2025 and April 2026. The Frenchwoman lost the first four matches of her return, but bounced back to claim the Nice ITF W35 title two weeeks ago.