FILE – Aryna Sabalenka from Belarus reacts during her final match of the WTA Upper Austria Ladies tennis tournament against Belgium’s Elise Mertens on November 15, 2020 in Linz. (Photo by BARBARA GINDL / APA / AFP) / Austria OUT
Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka climbed to a career-high WTA ranking of seventh on Monday after winning her third straight title at the weekend.
The 22-year-old won the Australian Open warm-up event in Abu Dhabi, beating Veronika Kudermetova 6-2, 6-2 in Wednesday’s final.
Sabalenka finished her 2020 campaign with triumphs in Ostrava and Linz and will be one of the favorites for the delayed Australian Open next month.
WTA top 20
1. Ashleigh Barty (AUS) 8,717 points
2. Simona Halep (ROU) 7,255
3. Naomi Osaka (JPN) 5,780
4. Sofia Kenin (USA) 5,760
5. Elina Svitolina (UKR) 5,260
6. Karolina Pliskova (CZE) 5,205
7. Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) 4,580 (+3)
8. Bianca Andreescu (CAN) 4,555 (-1)
9. Petra Kvitova (CZE) 4,516 (-1)
10. Kiki Bertens (NED) 4,505 (-1)
11. Serena Williams (USA) 4,080
12. Belinda Bencic (SUI) 4,010
13. Victoria Azarenka (BLR) 3,426
14. Johanna Konta (GBR) 3,152
15. Garbine Muguruza (ESP) 3,070
16. Madison Keys (USA) 2,962
17. Iga Swiatek (POL) 2,960
18. Petra Martic (CRO) 2,850
19. Elena Rybakina (KAZ) 2,718
20. Elise Mertens (BEL) 2,650