Aryna Sabalenka once again faltered at the Cincinnati Open, but she will remain at No 1 in the rankings as Elena Rybakina failed to cash in while Iga Swiatek averted slumping out of the top 10 and Alex Eala cracked another new high.

Sabalenka’s crown as No 1 has been under threat since June, but Rybakina failed to make the most of her opportunities at Roland Garros, Wimbledon and last week’s Canadian Open.

And the reigning Australian Open champion has seen another chance come and go in Cincinnati after stumbling in the quarter-final.

With Sabalenka losing in the round of 16 against Sara Bejlek, the task became simple for Rybakina as a run to the final would have been enough to help her to overtake the Belarusian in the WTA Rankings.

But she struggled against Swiatek and eventually succumbed to a leg injury while the Pole was leading 4-1.

WTA News

It means Sabalenka will retain top spot heading into the US Open, although Rybakina will get another opportunity as the four-time Grand Slam winner is the defending champion at Flushing Meadows.

WTA Top 10 Before Cincinnati Open (13 August)

1. Aryna Sabalenka – 8,670

2. Elena Rybakina – 8,316

3. Jessica Pegula – 6,680

4. Coco Gauff – 5,919

5. Iga Swiatek – 5,419

6. Mirra Andreeva – 5,323

7. Karolina Muchova – 5,048

8. Linda Noskova – 5,016

9. Elina Svitolina – 4,634

10. Amanda Anisimova – 4,353

Behind the top 2, Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff – both still alive at the Cincy event – will retain third place and fourth place respectively.

Swiatek moved back up to No 5 with her title run at the Canadian Open, but she slipped to No 11 in the Live WTA Rankings at the start of the Cincinnati Open as she dropped 1,000 points as the defending champion.

However, she has managed to move up three spots to No 8 by reaching the last four. The Pole will finish the tournament at No 6 if she wins back-to-back titles.

World No 11 Marta Kostyuk – one of the standout players in 2026 – had an opportunity to make her top-10 debut with a title run, but she was beaten in straight sets by Gauff in the quarter-final so will remain at No 11.

Live WTA Top 10 (22 August)

1. Aryna Sabalenka – 8,575

2. Elena Rybakina – 8,141

3. Jessica Pegula – 7,005/7,265/7,615

4. Coco Gauff – 6,094/6,354/6,704

5. Mirra Andreeva – 5,443 (+1)

6. Karolina Muchova – 5,053 (+1)

7. Linda Noskova – 5,028 (+1)

8. Iga Swiatek – 4,809/5,069/5,419 (-3)

9. Elina Svitolina – 4,68

10. Amanda Anisimova – 4,533

Other Winners

Iva Jovic’s run to the last 16 earned her a two-place jump to a new high of No 14 while four places behind is her good friend Alex Eala as the Filipina also climbed two spots to a career-high No 18 after reaching the round of 32.

Sabalenka’s conqueror, the 20-year-old Bejlek earned a six-place rise to No 29 – a new best – on the back of her win over Madison Keys in the last four.

In terms of big winners, Diane Parry is +16 to No 50, Daria Kasatkina +9 to No 59 and Katie Boulter +11 to No 60.

Boulter also claims the position as British No 1 from Emma Raducanu as the latter dropped nine places to No 68 due to her injury-enforced absence.

Romanian Elena-Gabriela Ruse also jumped 11 places to No 63 while Xiyu Wang is +26 as she climbs to No 82, Emiliana Arango is up to No 84 with an 11-place rise and Anna Blinkova is +17 to No 94.

The Losers

Jasmine Paolini finished runner-up to Swiatek last year, but she was unable to compete this time around due to injury and slips five places to No 20.

Magda Linette reached the round of 16 in 2025, but exited in the first round this year and she slumps 16 places to No 78 while Antonia Ruzic is -20 to No 81 and Alycia Parks -26 to No 89.