Barty tops WTA rankings for 70th week after win in Stuttgart

Australia's Ashleigh Barty celebrates with the trophy after winning the Final against Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka - Reuters

PARIS, AFP: Ashleigh Barty, who won in Stuttgart at the weekend, remains comfortably the world number one for the 70th week, 1,855 points ahead of the Japanese Naomi Osaka in the WTA rankings published on Monday.

The Australian, who opted to skip much of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 safety concerns, has benefitted from an interim system, put in place for the duration of the pandemic, allowing players to count their best 16 tournaments dating back to March 2019 instead of the usual 52-week cycle.

The 25-year-old has underlined her credentials by winning three tour titles in 2021. She has not lost to a top-10 player since being beaten by Dutchwoman Kiki Bertens in the WTA Finals round-robin match in Shenzhen in 2019.

Karolina Muchova makes her first appearance in the top 20 while Sorana Cirstea, who won her second circuit title in Istanbul on Sunday 13 years after the first, climbs nine places to 58th.

WTA rankings as of 26 April.

1. Ashleigh Barty (AUS) – 9655 

2. Naomi Osaka (JPN) – 7800 

3. Simona Halep (ROM) – 7050 

4. Sofia Kenin (USA) – 5915 

5. Elina Svitolina (UKR) – 5835 

6. Bianca Andreescu (CAN) – 5265 

7. Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) – 5205 

8. Serena Williams (USA) – 4850 

9. Karolina Pliskova (CZE) – 4660 

10. Kiki Bertens (NED) – 4405 (+1)