Elena Rybakina has overtaken Aryna Sabalenka to reclaim the lead in the Race to the WTA Finals, while Alex Eala is in 15th position.
World No 1 Sabalenka fell in the fourth round at the Canadian Open, while second-ranked Rybakina lost in the final to Iga Swiatek.
Sabalenka, Rybakina and other WTA Tour stars are now in Cincinnati for the second WTA 1000 event of the North American summer hard-court swing.
What is the Race to the WTA Finals?
The eight women who earn the most ranking points in the 2026 campaign will qualify for the prestigious season-ending WTA Finals, which will be staged in Indian Wells, United States from 8 to 15 November.
If a current-year Grand Slam champion finishes between ninth and 20th in the Race, they will take the eighth and final qualification spot.
The tournament was initially due to be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — which hosted the 2024 and 2025 editions — but the venue has been changed to the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.
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Rybakina is the reigning WTA Finals champion, with the Kazakh star having collected a record-breaking $5,235,000 for winning last year’s event.
The players who finish ninth and 10th will have the chance to travel to Indian Wells as alternates. Alternates take the place of any players who withdraw.
The latest Race to Indian Wells rankings
Rybakina is in pole position to finish 2026 as the year-end No 1, with the Kazakh star moving onto 5,397 points after reaching the fourth round in Cincinnati.
Sabalenka is on 267 points adrift of Rybakina in second position in the Race ahead of her third round encounter with Wang Xinyu.
Mirra Andreeva is just a single point behind Sabalenka in the No 3 spot before she plays Janice Tjen in her third round match.
Elina Svitolina is in fourth place with 4,679 points, while Jessica Pegula on 4,515 points in fifth.
Karolina Muchova has not played since the Wimbledon final due to an injury, and she remains sixth in the Race.
Coco Gauff and Linda Noskova are seventh and eighth respectively, while Marta Kostyuk is 344 points behind the latter in the No 9 position.
Live WTA Race to Indian Wells (as of 18 August)
1) Elena Rybakina – 5,397
2) Aryna Sabalenka – 5,130
3) Mirra Andreeva – 5,129
4) Elina Svitolina – 4,679
5) Jessica Pegula – 4,515
6) Karolina Muchova – 4,270
7) Coco Gauff – 3,939
8) Linda Noskova – 3,804
Cutoff
9) Marta Kostyuk – 3,460
10) Iga Swiatek – 3,074
11) Victoria Mboko – 2,393
12) Diana Shnaider – 2,215
13) Sorana Cirstea – 2,175
14) Belinda Bencic – 2,077
15) Alex Eala – 2,061
Iga Swiatek is 10th in the Race having been boosted by the 1,000 points she collected for her victory in Toronto, which puts her within 730 points of Noskova.
Eala is in 15th place with 2,061 points following her third round defeat to Amanda Anisimova in Cincinnati.
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