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Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina have cemented their lead in the race to the WTA Finals as the first quarter of the 2023 season has come to an end with Petra Kvitova taking home a 30th career trophy.
Kvitova's Miami victory has put her among the leaders in the WTA Race rankings. Sabalenka, however, continues to sit pretty on top, courtesy of her Australian Open triumph. The Belarusian has a total of 3,525 points, 2,000 of which came from her maiden Grand Slam Down Under.
Rybakina, who lost to Sabalenka and Kvitova in the Australian and Miami Open finals respectively, is also having quite a season. The reigning Wimbledon champion is currently ranked second in the race with 3,211 ranking points.
The vast majority of Rybakina's points come from her title run in Indian Wells and her runner-up finishes in Melbourne and Miami. The Kazakh beat the likes of Iga Swiatek and Race leader Sabalenka in her victorious Indian Wells campaign.
World No. 1 Swiatek, meanwhile, is also in the mix. The Pole, who chose to give Miami a miss after losing to Rybkaina in the Indian Wells semifinals, is ranked fourth in the WTA Race rankings, with 1,810 points.
Despite not playing the last fortnight, Swiatek's efforts in reaching back-to-back finals in the Middle East — Doha and Dubai — were enough to sustain her in the top 5. The World No. 1's fourth-round showing at the Australian Open also added to her points tally.
Jessica Pegula and Petra Kvitova close in on Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina in WTA Race rankings
The top two players in the WTA Race rankings - Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina - collected a whole host of points from the Sunshine Double to solidify themselves atop the list. That said, the likes of Petra Kvitova and Jessica Pegula are quietly beginning to narrow their lead.
Looking every bit the two-time Wimbledon champion that she is, Kvitova has been the biggest climber on the WTA Race rankings ladder over the last few weeks. The Czech jumped over 20 spots with her quarterfinal and title-winning runs at the Sunshine Double, and now finds herself in the top five with 1,625 points.
Pegula's consistency, meanwhile, continues to help her stay within touching distance of the leading duo. The American is currently ranked third with 1,906 points.
Other title winners in 2023 — Barbora Krejcikova, Belinda Bencic and Coco Gauff — round out the top eight. They would complete the line-up if the WTA Finals were to be held on this day.
Sorana Cirstea (No. 16), Maria Sakkari (No. 12), and Anastasia Potapova (No. 18) also propelled themselves up the WTA Race rankings after encouraging runs during the Sunshine Double.
