Australian Open champion Keys and Badosa return to top 10 rankings
With consecutive wins over World No.2 Iga Swiatek and World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka, she captured her first Grand Slam title.
Her run sparked a surge in the PIF WTA Rankings, where she jumped seven spots from No.14 to No.7. It's her first time back in the Top 10 since January 2023, equaling the career-high she set in October 2016.
Ahead of making crucial changes to her racquet and service motion, Keys was asked by husband and coach Bjorn Fratangelo whether she was content to be a 'No.11 to No.25' player.
Despite over a decade of high-level accomplishments -- the Australian Open marked Keys' 10th career title, all but one at WTA 500 level or above, and her seventh major semi-final -- her ranking has rarely matched her peak form.
Keys first cracked the top 10 in June 2016 and mostly remained there until April 2017. But between that month and this week, she spent just seven weeks in total inside the Top 10. Now, Keys is on a 12-match winning streak -- the longest of her career -- and has the opportunity to bolster those numbers over the coming months.
Eight months ago, Paula Badosa was ranked No.140 and struggling to regain form following a back injury that sidelined her for the second half of 2023. But consistently strong performances earned her the Comeback Player of the Year award at the end of 2024, and after two previous quarterfinal losses, she reached her first Grand Slam semifinal last week at the Australian Open. The former No.2 climbs two places to No.10, returning to the Top 10 for the first time since October 2022.
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinal in 2011. Fourteen years later, she's still got it.
The 33-year-old made her ninth major quarter-final, and fourth at the Australian Open, last week, and jumps nine places to No.23.
Meanwhile, world number one Jannik Sinner will not defend his ATP 500 title in Rotterdam as the Italian's 'body needs time to rest' after winning the Australian Open, tournament organisers announced on Monday.
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