{"id":1788106,"date":"2026-02-23T17:15:07","date_gmt":"2026-02-23T14:15:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1788106"},"modified":"2026-02-23T17:15:07","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T14:15:07","slug":"wta-rankings-race-to-riyadh-rybakina-retains-lead-pegula-soars-to-2nd-gauff-up-to-8th-swiatek-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1788106","title":{"rendered":"WTA Rankings Race To Riyadh: Rybakina retains lead, Pegula soars to 2nd, Gauff up to 8th, Swiatek -3"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"ps-article-content rounded-lg lg:mt-5 lg:border lg:border-card lg:bg-card lg:shadow-primary\">\n<header>\n<h1 class=\"py-4 text-xl font-normal text-title sm:text-2xl\">WTA Rankings Race To Riyadh: Rybakina retains lead, Pegula soars to 2nd, Gauff up to 8th, Swiatek -3<\/h1>\n<div class=\"my-2 flex items-center justify-between\">\n<div class=\"flex items-center\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/author\/ewan-west\" class=\"text-sm font-normal !text-author\"><br \/>\n                            Ewan West                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <time class=\"ml-3 text-sm font-normal text-info md:ml-4\" datetime=\"23 Feb 2026 5:15 PM\" data-ps-date=\"23 Feb 2026 5:15 PM\" data-ps-datetime=\"1771866907\"><br \/>\n                            23 Feb 2026 5:15 PM                        <\/time>\n                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"hidden justify-end space-x-4 text-xl sm:flex sm:!opacity-100\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/wta-rankings-race-to-riyadh-pegula-rybakina-gauff-swiatek\" class=\"!text-info hover:!text-brand\" aria-label=\"Share to facebook\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <a 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href=\"https:\/\/share.flipboard.com\/bookmarklet\/popout?v=2&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tennis365.com%2Ftennis-news%2Fwta-rankings-race-to-riyadh-pegula-rybakina-gauff-swiatek\" aria-label=\"Share to flipboard\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/a>\n                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"sm:hidden flex items-center space-x-5\">\n                        <a class=\"!text-share-icon hover:!text-share-icon-active flex items-center justify-center\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" aria-label=\"Follow Tennis365 on Google Search\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <button id=\"t365-article-share-btn\" class=\"mr-2 hidden h-6 w-6 appearance-none border-none !text-share-icon outline-none hover:!text-share-icon-active sm:hidden\" data-title=\"WTA Rankings Race To Riyadh: Rybakina retains lead, Pegula soars to 2nd, Gauff up to 8th, Swiatek -3\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/button>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"-mx-3 sm:-mx-5 border-b border-page\"><\/div>\n<section>\n<div class=\"-mx-3 sm:-mx-5\">\n<figure class=\"aspect-h-9 aspect-w-16 relative\">\n                                        <img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1320\" height=\"742\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"w-full h-full object-cover object-center !my-0\" src=\"https:\/\/d2me2qg8dfiw8u.cloudfront.net\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Jessica-Pegula-Elena-Rybakina-Coco-Gauff-Iga-Swiatek-1320x742.jpg\" alt=\"Jessica Pegula, Elena Rybakina, Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek\">                <\/figure><figcaption class=\"flex items-center space-x-3 border-b border-mobile-caption px-3 lg:border-caption\">\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-1.5 break-words !text-xs !text-content\">\n                                WTA stars Jessica Pegula, Elena Rybakina, Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek                            <\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<div class=\"ciam-article-t365\">\n<p>Jessica Pegula has made a big move in the Race to the WTA Finals in Riyadh following her Dubai Championships triumph, while Elena Rybakina remains clear at the top.<\/p>\n<p>The eight women who earn the most ranking points in the 2026 season will qualify for the season-ending <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/wta-tour\">WTA<\/a> Finals, which will be staged in Riyadh from 7 to 14 November.<\/p>\n<p>The prestigious tournament, which was first held in 1972, is played on indoor hard-court at the King Saud University Indoor Arena.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/elena-rybakina\">Rybakina<\/a> is the reigning WTA Finals champion having secured a record-breaking $5,235,000 for winning last year\u2019s event.<\/p>\n<p>If a current-year Grand Slam winner finishes between ninth and 20th in the Race, they will take the eighth and final qualification spot.<\/p>\n<p>The players who finish ninth and 10th will travel to Saudi Arabia as alternates and have the chance to take the place of any players who withdraw.<\/p>\n<p>World No 3 Rybakina has been the leader of the Race since winning the 2026 Australian Open, and she retains a healthy advantage. The Kazakh has moved onto 2,443 points after she reached the third round in Dubai.<\/p>\n<p>Pegula has surged into second place, with her title at the WTA 1000 in Dubai increasing her points total to 1,976.<\/p>\n<h2>WTA Tour News<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/wta-rankings-iga-swiatek-no-2-jessica-pegula-coco-gauff-heels-alex-eala-paula-badosa-15\"><strong>WTA Rankings: Swiatek holds onto No 2, Pegula on Gauff\u2019s heels, Eala +16, Badosa -15<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/wta-tour\/atx-open-draw-jessica-pegula-no-1-seed-venus-williams-rising-american-star-bianca-andreescu-returns\"><strong>ATX Open draw: Jessica Pegula No 1 seed, Venus Williams could face American teen, Bianca Andreescu returns<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Elina Svitolina, who was a runner-up to Pegula in Dubai, has moved up one place to fourth in the Race with 1,800 points \u2014 level with Aryna Sabalenka, who has not played since the Australian Open.<\/p>\n<p>Victoria Mboko and Karolina Muchova both pulled out of the Dubai Championships, and they have fallen to fifth and sixth in the Race.<\/p>\n<p>Mirra Andreeva remains seventh with 1,183 points after she made the quarter-finals in Dubai, while Coco Gauff has jumped three places to the No 8 spot after she reached the semi-finals, which took her points total to 980.<\/p>\n<h2>Live WTA Race to Riyadh (as of 23 February)<\/h2>\n<p>1) Elena Rybakina \u2013 2,443<br \/>\n2) Jessica Pegula \u2013 1,976<br \/>\n3) Elina Svitolina \u2013 1,800<br \/>\n4) Aryna Sabalenka \u2013 1,800<br \/>\n5) Victoria Mboko \u2013 1,497<br \/>\n6) Karolina Muchova \u2013 1,435<br \/>\n7) Mirra Andreeva \u2013 1,183<br \/>\n8) Coco Gauff \u2013 980<br \/>\n<em>Cutoff<\/em><br \/>\n9) Amanda Anisimova \u2013 890<br \/>\n10) Iva Jovic \u2013 812<br \/>\n11) Iga Swiatek \u2013 795<br \/>\n12) Belinda Bencic \u2013 744<br \/>\n13) Sara Bejlek \u2013 630<br \/>\n14) Elisabetta Cocciaretto \u2013 603<br \/>\n15) Sorana Cirstea \u2013 579<\/p>\n<p>Amanda Anisimova has made an eight-place climb to ninth after her semi-final run in Dubai took her points tally to 890. Iva Jovic made the last 16 in Dubai, but she has dropped from ninth to 10th.<\/p>\n<p>Iga Swiatek did not compete in Dubai, and she has fallen three spots from eighth to 11th, while Belinda Bencic has dropped two places to 12th.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Want more from Tennis365? Add us as <a rel=\"noopener nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" target=\"_blank\">a preferred source on Google to your favourites list<\/a> for tennis coverage you can trust.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>READ NEXT: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-features\/wta-rankings-winners-losers-dubai-championships-gauff-pegula-rybakina-swiatek-eala\">WTA Rankings Winners &amp; Losers Dubai: Gauff &amp; Pegula close gap to Rybakina &amp; Swiatek, Eala soars<\/a><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>WTA Rankings Race To Riyadh: Rybakina retains lead, Pegula soars to 2nd, Gauff up to 8th, Swiatek -3 Ewan West 23 Feb 2026 5:15 PM WTA stars Jessica Pegula, Elena Rybakina, Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek Jessica Pegula has made a big move in the Race to the WTA Finals in Riyadh following her Dubai [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,249],"class_list":["post-1788106","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-tennis365-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1788106","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1788106"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1788106\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1788106"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1788106"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1788106"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}