Sports · Tennis · 9 hrs ago
Andreeva enters WTA year-end No 1 race after reaching China Open final
Mirra Andreeva has reached the China Open final in Beijing and risen to a career-high No 3 in the live WTA rankings.
She is set to face local favourite Zheng Qinwen in the final.
Andreeva has 6,371 points before that match, compared with 9,696 for No 1 Elena Rybakina and 7,485 for No 2 Aryna Sabalenka.
A win would lift Andreeva to 6,721 points and bring her within 1,000 points of Sabalenka.
The rankings race can shift as players’ points from tournaments a year earlier stop counting, and Rybakina is due to lose points while Andreeva has few to defend.
Wuhan is next, where Andreeva could gain ground, while Rybakina has withdrawn because of injury.
Mirra Andreeva reached the China Open final and moved into the conversation for the WTA year-end No 1 ranking.
She rose to No 3 in the live rankings with 6,371 points, ahead of Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff.
Elena Rybakina remained top with 9,696 points, while Aryna Sabalenka was second with 7,485.
A win over Zheng Qinwen would give Andreeva 6,721 points and cut her gap to Sabalenka to less than 1,000 points.
Upcoming ranking points losses and results at Wuhan could affect the race, while Rybakina’s fitness was uncertain after a foot injury.
- Who
- Mirra Andreeva, Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka are in the year-end No 1 race.
- What
- Andreeva entered the conversation after reaching the China Open final.
- When
- 2026, before the China Open final scheduled for Sunday.
- Where
- The China Open in Beijing, China.
- Why
- Andreeva’s run raised her ranking to No 3 and reduced the gap to the leaders.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
No direct quotes in the coverage so far.
Andreeva moved from No 5 to No 3 in the live rankings by reaching the final.
Andreeva was scheduled to play Zheng Qinwen in the China Open final.
Rybakina was due to drop 500 points from her 2025 Ningbo Open title run and had withdrawn from Wuhan due to injury.
- Andreeva's live ranking
- No 3, with 6,371 points
- Rybakina's live ranking
- No 1, with 9,696 points
- Sabalenka's live ranking
- No 2, with 7,485 points
- Potential points after China Open win
- Andreeva would have 6,721 points
- China Open final opponent
- Zheng Qinwen
Sources
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