Rankings Watch: Dubai finalists Paolini and Kalinskaya surge to new highs
Last week, the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships culminated with only the fourth WTA 1000 final between unseeded players since the tier was introduced in 2009. Both Jasmine Paolini and Anna Kalinskaya have been building toward this result for some time.
Jasmine Paolini's Rise to Success
Jasmine Paolini, 28, was ranked No.71 last April. She had a difficult start to the 2023 season, losing seven of her first 10 tour-level matches. However, she turned her season around and had notable achievements, including a title at Florence WTA 125 and reaching the quarterfinals of a WTA 1000 tournament in Cincinnati. She was nominated for the Most Improved Player award last year and continued to build on her success. In Australia, she reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time and went on to win the Dubai title by defeating Beatriz Haddad Maia, Leylah Fernandez, and Maria Sakkari.
Paolini's remarkable performance in Dubai allowed her to soar into the Top 20 for the first time in her career. She climbed 12 places in the rankings, from No.26 to No.14.
Anna Kalinskaya's Comeback Story
Anna Kalinskaya, 25, faced a setback in her career with a three-month layoff due to a hamstring injury between May and August last year. As a result, her ranking dropped to No.115 by October. However, she made a strong comeback at the end of 2023, reaching consecutive WTA 125 finals and winning the Midland title. She continued her momentum at the Australian Open, where she achieved her first Grand Slam quarterfinal.
In Dubai, Kalinskaya had to qualify for the main draw and went on to upset three consecutive Top 10 players, including Jelena Ostapenko, Coco Gauff, and Iga Swiatek, to reach her first tour-level final. This impressive run propelled Kalinskaya to a 16-place jump in the rankings, from No.40 to No.24, marking her entry into the Top 30.
Other Notable Rankings Movements
Maria Sakkari, who dropped out of the Top 10 last week, made a quick return to the elite group after reaching the third round in Dubai. She climbed back to No.9 in the rankings.
Magdalena Frech achieved her Top 50 debut after qualifying and reaching the third round of Dubai. The Polish player upset Ekaterina Alexandrova along the way and pushed Elena Rybakina to three tight sets.
Ashlyn Krueger, a 19-year-old American player, reached a new career high of No.70 after a second-round appearance in Dubai and a victory over Caroline Garcia, her second career win over a Top 25 player.
McCartney Kessler, a University of Florida alumna, secured her first WTA 125 title as a lucky loser in Puerto Vallarta. She made a significant jump of 33 places in the rankings, from No.153 to No.120, after a successful first full pro season in 2023.
Taylah Preston, an 18-year-old Australian player, reached her first WTA 125 final in Puerto Vallarta and climbed to a new career high ranking of No.153. She is now the second-highest ranked player born in 2005.
Noma Noha Akugue, a 20-year-old German player, rebounded from a slump by reaching the Porto ITF W75 final. She moved up 19 places in the rankings, from No.202 to No.183.
