Simona Halep during the Media All Access day, WTA Finals 2018 Singapore
Simona Halep during the Media All Access day, WTA Finals 2018 Singapore | Jimmie48 Tennis Photography

Tennis | WTA Rankings | 17 August 2020

  • The top 10 remained unchanged after the Lexington Open and the Prague Open
  • First-time winner WTA titlist Jennifer Brady reached her career high at No.40
  • Johanna Konta and Heather Watson suffered first-round losses in Kentucky failing to make progress in the rankings
LONDON, UK – The Lexington Open champion Jennifer Brady climbed to a career-high No.40. Ashleigh Barty and Johanna Konta remain the World and the British No.1.

The top 10 positions in the WTA Rankings remained unchanged after the first week after the restart. Coming to the short swing in North America, six of the WTA top-8 players withdrew from the US Open, led by the World No.1 Ashleigh Barty, the Prague Open champion Simona Halep, the defending champion Bianca Andreescu Karolina Pliskova and the Australian Open titlist Sofia Kenin will lead the field alongside Serena Williams, pursuing her record 24th Grand Slam title in singles.

Naomi Osaka completes the WTA top-10. The former World No.1 eclipsed the rivals being the highest-paid female athlete of the year according to Forbes. She earned just $3.4 million in prize money and further 34 million thanks to a massive sponsor roster.

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  1. Ashleigh Barty (AUS) 8717 pts
  2. Simona Halep (RO) 6076
  3. Karolina Pliskova (CZE) 5205
  4. Sofia Kenin (USA) 4590
  5. Elina Svitolina (UKR) 4580
  6. Bianca Andreescu (CAN) 4555
  7. Kiki Bertens (NED) 4335
  8. Belinda Bencic (SUI) 4010
  9. Serena Williams (USA) 3915
  10. Naomi Osaka (JPN) 3625

Read more | Tennis | WTA Lexington 2020 | Heart scare for Konta and delay woes for Watson as they exit in first round

WTA Ranking Movers of the week

Lexington champion Jennifer Brady hits a new career high ranking of World No.40 following an outstanding week in which she did not drop a single set. At the Top Seed Open presented by Bluegrass Orthopaedics – her first professional tournament on home soil since reaching the quarter-finals of New Haven’s WTA 125K Series tournament last September, she sealed her maiden WTA trophy in her first tour-level final after three semifinal losses (2017 Hong Kong, 2019 Nottingham, 2020 Dubai).

Meanwhile Coco Gauff, who surrendered to Brady in the semifinals, entered the tournament ranked No.53. Thanks to that result, she rises three places to No.50, one spot shy from her career-high ranking of No.49 (achieved February 24, 2020)

READ MORE | Tennis| UK Pro Series 2020 | Liam Broady & Emma Raducanu claim titles week

 

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The top 10 Brits in the rankings

The two Brits in the Top 100 in the WTA Rankings, Johanna Konta and Heather Watson failed to progress beyond the first round at the inaugural Top Seed Open in Lexington. The Brit No.1 said she suffered heart palpitations during her 6-4 6-4 loss to unseeded Czech Marie Bouzkova. She added it was not the first time she experienced that problem.

  1. Johanna Konta (World No.15) 2803 pts
  2. Heather Watson (52) 1122
  3. Harriet Dart (147) 430
  4. Samantha Murray Sharan (180) 345
  5. Naiktha Bains (223) 267
  6. Katie Swan (254) 235
  7. Jodie Burrage (289) 197
  8. Francesca Jones (321) 164
  9. Katy Dunne (324) 161
  10. Amanda Carreras (332) 154

 

The Western & Southern Open takes place between 21-28 August.