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Elena Rybakina is set to reach a new career high after reaching the final of the Indian Wells Open.
Rybakina started the fortnight ranked No. 10, her highest ever, but could find herself as high as No. 7 if she reverses the Australian Open final in California on Sunday.
If Rybakina loses the final, she will move up one place to ninth in the rankings, displacing Belinda Benchi.
Maria Sakkari will slip from her position as world No. 7 after failing to reach the Indian Wells final in 2022, with Sakkari falling to Daria Katkina, both of whom lost in the round of 32. This season and the last.
However, after winning the confidence she has achieved this year, there seems to be little that can stop Rybakina from making her way up the rankings.
“There are times when you feel like, ‘OK, if I play like this all the time, I can beat anybody,'” Rybakina said.
World No. 1 Iga Swiatek drops back to four-digit ranking points, as do the rest of the tour’s total, and Sabalenka can narrow her lead with another major title win on Sunday.
The world No. 2 had just ten rating points to defend, meaning she could make a jump of 990 points, which would take her over 7000, 2975 points clear of Swiatek.
World No. 6 Coco Gauff has made a slight advantage on points, but fifth-ranked Caroline Garcia of France remains one way behind.
Gauff improved her last eight defeat in 2022 this week with a round of 16 exit by Indian Wells.
World No. 4 Ounce Jaber had the fewest points to move ahead of Garcia, who boosted her total with a win in Indian Wells this week.
World No. 9 Bencic suffered another round of 64 loss in Indian Wells to drop to tenth.
World No. 3 Jessica Pegula and Bencic have points to defend from their respective runs to the last four in Miami last time out and Swiatek has a full house on the line again, but otherwise there are big chances for the top ten odds to pay off. The second half of the Sunshine Double.
Rybakina is looking to shake off her mistakes from the Australian Open and make her mark in Indian Wells.
“Yes, it will not be an easy match, and it will be in these clutch moments that I just need to play better. We hope it will change the score between us now,” she said.
Read more: India’s Wells set for Australian Open final rematch
