Coco Gauff has risen above Iga Swiatek in the WTA rankings for the first time and will be seeded higher than the Pole at the French Open. Gauff, who entered the Italian Open in third spot, will become the new World No. 2 when the rankings are updated next Monday.
It will match a career-high mark for the 21-year-old American, who broke into the Top 10 three years ago and never left it. She reached World No. 2 for a few weeks last summer, but fell below that and hasn’t returned to that mark until now. Gauff, a one-time Grand Slam champion, will be the second seed at the French Open at the end of the month, and that could have huge implications for the draw at the clay-court Major.
Gauff will be in the opposite half of World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka. Avoiding the tour’s in-form player until at least the final is paramount for Gauff. Sabalenka has won three of their last four meetings, including a couple of semifinal matches on hard courts and a title match in Madrid earlier this month.
Gauff has taken some positive steps in getting her season right back on track and is up to sixth in the WTA live race, having spent the last three months outside the top eight places. The WTA race determines the eight women who will qualify for the year-end championships in Riyadh.
What will Iga Swiatek’s new ranking be at the French Open?
Swiatek needed to defend her crown at the Italian Open to keep her top-two ranking. But a shocking defeat to Danielle Collins in the third round will send her ranking tumbling to fourth.
The Roland Garros seedings will be based on the rankings at the end of the WTA 1000 in Rome. That means Swiatek will be the World No. 4 and the fourth seed in Paris, below Sabalenka, Gauff, and Jessica Pegula.
This will be her lowest WTA ranking in three years. Her one-year title drought could be cause for more concern. There is the imminent threat of her ranking hitting double digits should there be an underwhelming campaign in Paris. As defending champion, Swiatek can mathematically lose almost the full 2000 points.
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
