WTA Rankings: Pegula Takes American No. 1 Spot; Kenin Gains

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The clay season on the Hologic WTA Tour began last week with two long-standing tournaments: the Credit One Charleston Open, held since 1973, and the Copa Colsanitas Zurich in Bogota, which started in 1998.

For the second year in a row, both tournaments were won by local players. Jessica Pegula, who had reached the semifinals in Charleston for the past two years, secured her eighth career title and her first on clay as the top seed. This victory means Pegula now holds titles on all three court surfaces: hard, grass, and clay.

Pegula has moved up one position to No. 3 in the latest PIF WTA Rankings, matching her highest career ranking and regaining the position of American No. 1 from Coco Gauff. She previously held the No. 3 spot in October 2022 and again in September 2023 after reaching the US Open final.

Osorio Achieves Bogota Three-Peat

Camila Osorio, Colombia`s highest-ranked player, successfully defended her title in Bogota, winning her third title at this event. The 23-year-old has climbed one place to No. 53.

Kenin and Kawa Highlight Resurgence of Finalists

Unseeded finalists in both tournaments made significant gains in the rankings. Sofia Kenin reached her 10th career final, her first on clay since Roland Garros 2020, where she lost to Pegula in an all-American final, the third of the year. After falling to No. 168 last September, Kenin continues her upward trajectory, jumping 10 spots from No. 44 to No. 34, her highest ranking since the end of 2023.

Katarzyna Kawa of Poland reached her second career final, six years after her WTA main draw debut in Jurmala. The 32-year-old`s week in Bogota was a test of endurance. She spent 7 hours and 10 minutes just in qualifying, saved a match point in the second round, and upset top seed Marie Bouzkova on her way to the final. Kawa has jumped 67 places from No. 223 to No. 156.

Teenagers Pareja, Kovackova, and Tagger Advance

A generational milestone was reached last week when 16-year-old Julieta Pareja became the first player born in 2009 to compete in a WTA main draw after qualifying for Bogota. The American teenager (of Colombian heritage) went on to reach the semifinals, with her strong forehand being a key weapon. As a result, Pareja has soared 215 places from No. 550 to No. 335.

This isn`t the first time Pareja has shown promise. As a 15-year-old qualifying wild card at the US Open last year, she reached the final qualifying round. Bogota was only the 10th professional tournament of her career, and she is currently the highest-ranked player born in 2009, ahead of Hannah Klugman (No. 559) and Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi (No. 655).

The leading player born in 2010 is also making progress. Junior No. 11 Jana Kovackova is currently the youngest player with a WTA ranking. In just her fourth professional event, the 14-year-old Czech player won the Antalya ITF W35 title two weeks ago, becoming the first player born in 2010 to win a professional trophy. She has jumped 356 places from No. 1,061 to No. 705 this week. Kovackova`s older sister, 16-year-old Alena, is also a promising talent, ranked No. 13 in juniors and No. 820 in the WTA rankings.

Another teenage talent, 17-year-old Lilli Tagger, also achieved her best result to date. The Austrian player, known for her one-handed backhand, won her first ITF W35 title two weeks ago as a qualifier in Terrassa, and has risen 178 places from No. 744 to a new career high of No. 566.

Other Notable Ranking Movements

Ekaterina Alexandrova, +4 to No. 22: Alexandrova has experienced both hot streaks (an eight-match winning streak in February, including the Linz title and Doha semifinals) and cold spells (immediately followed by a four-match losing streak) in 2025. Her performance in Charleston was strong again, reaching her third semifinal of the season.

Robin Montgomery, +5 to No. 100: The 20-year-old American has entered the Top 100 for the first time after reaching the second round in Charleston. Since last August, Montgomery had been ranked between No. 102 and No. 117 before breaking into the Top 100 this week. The 2021 US Open junior champion, Montgomery reached her first WTA semifinal in Auckland in January.

Leolia Jeanjean, +9 to No. 107: The French player gained attention by defeating Karolina Pliskova at Roland Garros 2022 and reached her career-high of No. 102 the following January, only to fall out of the Top 200 last September. The 29-year-old is climbing back up the rankings, having reached three ITF finals this year and adding her first WTA quarterfinal last week in Bogota.

Solana Sierra, +33 to No. 119: Sierra, the 2022 Roland Garros girls` finalist, won her first WTA 125 title last week at Antalya 3, securing her second Top 100 win against No. 1 seed Anna Bondar in the quarterfinals. The 20-year-old Argentine has reached a new career high.

Leyre Romero Gormaz, +18 to No. 124: Romero Gormaz was a runner-up in two of the last three Antalya WTA 125 tournaments, losing to Sierra in last week`s final. The 23-year-old Spaniard has reached a new career high.

Darja Semenistaja, +34 to No. 131: Before last week`s WTA 125 in La Bisbal d`Empordà, Semenistaja had lost seven of her previous eight matches. However, the Latvian player, whose career high is No. 106, broke her slump by winning her second WTA 125 title.

Julia Riera, +18 to No. 139: In 2023, Riera made an impressive tour-level debut, reaching the Rabat semifinals. The Argentine player reached the semifinals of a WTA event for the second time last week in Bogota.

Lea Boskovic, +37 to No. 188: The Croatian player has played in two WTA main draws in her career, and in both, she reached the quarterfinals as a qualifier. Boskovic`s run to the quarterfinals in Bogota included her second Top 100 win against Cristina Bucsa in the second round, and she has returned to the Top 200 for the first time since November.

Sada Nahimana, +41 to No. 245: Nahimana, 23, extended her winning streak to 10 matches with her second consecutive ITF W50 trophy on home soil in Bujumbura. The Burundian player is just one place away from her career high of No. 244, which she set in April 2023.

Lia Karatancheva, +40 to No. 309: Karatancheva, the 21-year-old younger sister of former No. 35 Sesil, reached her first WTA 125 quarterfinal last week in Antalya. The Bulgarian player has reached a new career high.

Caty McNally, +76 to No. 321: After undergoing elbow surgery in March 2024, former No. 54 McNally was ranked outside the Top 1,000 upon her return to action in November. The American`s comeback progressed last week as she qualified for and reached the second round of Charleston, achieving her first completed Top 100 win since 2023 against Anhelina Kalinina in the first round.

Aliona Bolsova, +129 to No. 406: Former No. 88 Bolsova reached the semifinals at the La Bisbal d`Empordà WTA 125 last week, securing her first Top 100 win since 2023 against Arantxa Rus in the second round.

Alizé Cornet, +72 to No. 460: The French player emerged from her 10-month retirement at last week`s La Bisbal d`Empordà WTA 125, and began her comeback with a run to the quarterfinals.

Rupert Blackhaven
Rupert Blackhaven

Rupert Blackhaven, operating from Leeds, has made his mark covering UFC and football competitions since 2015. His unique perspective comes from his background as an amateur boxer, which gives his combat sports coverage exceptional depth.

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