MASON, OHIO – AUGUST 18: Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus returns a shot to Paula Badosa of Spain during the Western & Southern Open at Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 18, 2021 in Mason, Ohio. Matthew Stockman/Getty Images/AFP
Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka geared up for next week’s US Open by climbing to second place in the WTA rankings published on Monday, nudging Naomi Osaka down to third.
Neither Sabalenka, 23, nor Osaka made it to the latter stages of the Cincinnati Open which was won by Ashleigh Barty who keeps a firm grip on the number one spot.
French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova reached her best WTA ranking on ninth with a good run to the quarter-finals in Cincinnati where she was stopped by Barty.
Former world number one Angelique Kerber is back in the top 20 after her run to the semi-finals in Cincinnati when she was also overturned by an in-form Barty.
WTA rankings as of August 23
1. Ashleigh Barty (AUS) 10,185 pts
2. Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) 7,010 (+1)
3. Naomi Osaka (JPN) 6,666 (-1)
4. Karolina Pliskova (CZE) 5,530
5. Sofia Kenin (USA) 5,030
6. Elina Svitolina (UKR) 5,030
7. Bianca Andreescu (CAN) 4,537
8. Iga Swiatek (POL) 4,461
9. Barbora Krejcikova (CZE) 4,273 (+1)
10. Garbine Muguruza (ESP) 4,210 (-1)
11. Petra Kvitova (CZE) 4,170
12. Belinda Bencic (SUI) 4,170
13. Simona Halep (ROM) 3,881 (+1)
14. Jennifer Brady (USA) 3,489 (+2)
15. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) 3,420 (+2)
16. Elise Mertens (BEL) 3,330 (-1)
17. Angelique Kerber (GER) 3,245 (+5)
18. Maria Sakkari (GRE) 3,210
19. Victoria Azarenka (BLR) 3,160 (-6)
20. Elena Rybakina (KAZ) 3,083 (-1)