British tennis star Emma Raducano has risen to seventh in the world by three places after updating the WTA world rankings ahead of the “Sunshine Double”. The former US Open winner saw her ranking drop from world No. 10 last year amid a period of injury and waning odds.
The WTA Rankings are based on a 52-week cumulative system in which points from the players’ 16 best performances contribute to their total. Grand Slams and WTA 1000 tournaments hold the most points – with the Indian Wells and Miami Masters tournaments this month.
Heading into the ‘Sunshine Double’, world No. 1 Iga Swiatek still has a clear points advantage over her competitors. The Polish star was ranked the best tennis player in the world after winning the Indian Wells and Miami tournaments last season.
The 21-year-old went on to win the inaugural French and American tournaments last season to boost her ranking even further and ended the year as world No. 1. Belarusian star Aryna Sabalenka is currently world No. 2 after winning her first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January and gaining 2,000 ranking points in the process.
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The ranking has not changed since the Australian Open, as American Jessica Pegula ranked third in the prestigious Indian Wells tournament this week while Ons Jabeur ranked fourth.
Swiatak currently has a lead of more than 4,000 points in the women’s rankings, but those placed below it could change hands after this month’s “Sunshine Double”. Raducanu has 784 ranking points but still moved up three places from her previous ranking, despite struggling with injuries in the first few months of the year.
A run to the latter stages of any of the tournaments in the US would give the British star an even bigger welcome in the world rankings.
