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Why Aryna Sabalenka overtook Iga Swiatek for world number one in the WTA rankings

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Why Aryna Sabalenka overtook Iga Swiatek for world number one in the WTA rankings

The tennis world awoke to a surprise on Monday, with Aryna Sabalenka replacing Iga Swiatek as No. 1 in the WTA rankings.

Sabalenka, who has won two Grand Slam titles in a sterling season, has been engaged in a battle for supremacy with Swiatek — who has a Grand Slam title of her own, and five titles in 2024 to Sabalenka’s four — all year. It was expected to run until the season-ending WTA Tour Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, next month, where Swiatek is defending champion.

Instead, Swiatek lost 120 ranking points in the latest update, and Sabalenka lost 10, leading to her leapfrogging her rival to start her ninth career week as the top-ranked women’s tennis player in the world.

But neither player took part in a tournament last week, so what happened?

Why did Swiatek and Sabalenka lose their ranking points?

Under WTA rules, players must enter and play six WTA 500-level tournaments per season. If a player is involved in fewer than that, they lose the ranking points they earned from their worst results of the season across all tournament categories as punishment — not just from the 500-level events they did play in.

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The Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo is the only WTA 500 event left this season and that starts today (Monday, October 21), with Swiatek having played two 500-level events and Sabalenka four:

Player WTA 500 Result

Iga Swiatek

United Cup

F

Stuttgart

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SF

Aryna Sabalenka

Brisbane

F

Stuttgart

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QF

Berlin

QF

Washington DC

SF

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Neither player can now meet the mandatory figure of six, so they have begun to lose points. Swiatek’s worst result of the season to date is her fourth-round defeat to Russian world No. 28 Ekaterina Alexandrova at the Miami Open in March, which is a WTA 1000. She earned 120 points for reaching that stage of the tournament.

Sabalenka’s worst result of 2024 is her second-round defeat to Croatian world No. 19 Donna Vekic at February’s Dubai Tennis Championships, also a WTA 1000, for which she gained 10 points. Removing these points erases Swiatek’s lead over Sabalenka, and takes the latter to the summit:

Week Iga Swiatek Aryna Sabalenka

October 14

9785

9716

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October 21

9665

9706

Will Swiatek and Sabalenka lose further points?

Yes. Their next-worst results will be scrapped from their points totals in the next rankings update after the Pan Pacific Open concludes next Sunday. Swiatek will lose 130 points for reaching the third round of either the Australian Open or Wimbledon and Sabalenka her 65 for getting to the same stage in Miami.

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Aryna Sabalenka wanted to overtake Iga Swiatek – to do it, she had to slow down

Who will be world No. 1 at the end of the year?

This will still be decided at the WTA Finals. The odds are currently in Sabalenka’s favor because of how extensively Swiatek outperformed her last year — an initially strange idea that is at the heart of the tennis ranking system.

Swiatek won the WTA Finals in 2023, winning all of her matches in straight sets and thrashing Jessica Pegula 6-1, 6-0 in the final in Cancun, Mexico, to earn 1500 points. Sabalenka lost one of her matches in the round-robin stage (to Pegula) and then lost to Swiatek in the semifinals, earning 625 points. Applying the pending point penalty, and the loss of last year’s points from the WTA Finals, Swiatek will have to surmount a deficit of 1,046 points in Riyadh:

Player Points Ranking

Aryna Sabalenka

9016

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#1

Iga Swiatek

7970

#2

Has Swiatek overhauled a rankings deficit before?

Yes, and she did it against Sabalenka, this time last year. Going into the WTA Finals, Sabalenka was world No. 1, with a lead of 630 points over Swiatek. But Swiatek then destroyed the field, dropping just 20 games in 10 sets. Pegula, who faced her in the final, was clear as to why: “She clearly really wanted that ranking,” the American told a news conference after their final. “You could tell by the way she was competing here… She was, like today, crushing people.”

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After Swiatek withdrew from the WTA 1000 China Open in September (where she would have been defending champion, and so dropped 1,100 points), Sabalenka said that she hoped they would face each other again during the season in their fight to finish top of the rankings.


Aryna Sabalenka is world No. 1 for the second time in her career. (Wang He / Getty Images)

“I hope she’ll figure out the coach situation and she’ll be back in the finals in her best shape,” Sabalenka said in a news conference at the Wuhan Open, also in China. “Hopefully we can play against each other there.”

The “coach situation”, in which Swiatek parted company with Tomas Wiktorowski with whom she won four Grand Slam titles, has indeed been figured out. Swiatek has since hired Wim Fissette, who coached Naomi Osaka, Kim Clijsters and Angelique Kerber to Grand Slam titles. All three are former world No. 1s.

(Top photos: Getty Images)

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Teenage golfer Miles Russell delivers his dad an all-time Father’s Day experience during US Open final round

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Teenage golfer Miles Russell delivers his dad an all-time Father’s Day experience during US Open final round

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Miles Russell is the youngest player in the 2026 U.S. Open field at just 17 years old. Teeing it up in a major championship at that age, let alone making the cut as he did at Shinnecock Hills, made for an already unforgettable week for him and his family.

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The young man had one final surprise up his sleeve for Sunday’s final round, however, that not only his family will cherish forever, but made plenty of golf fans watching the moment unfold a bit misty-eyed.

After hitting his approach shot into the par-4 18th, Russell’s caddie made his way over to the gallery. He proceeded to take off his caddie bib and hand it and Russell’s golf bag over to Russell’s father, Joe.

Miles Russell plays his tee shot on the 11th hole during the second round of the UNC Health Championship at Raleigh Country Club on May 29, 2026 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Jordan Bank/Getty Images) ((Photo by Jordan Bank/Getty Images))

TEENAGE PHENOM MILES RUSSELL MAKES ENTIRE GOLF WORLD FEEL OLD WITH EYE-POPPING QUOTE AHEAD OF US OPEN DEBUT

According to the NBC broadcast, the entire thing was Russell’s idea. He approached USGA rules officials before teeing off on Sunday to ask them if it was okay to have his dad take over caddying duties for the final hole, and they gave him the green light.

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Talk about a Father’s Day gift that may never be topped.

“It was pretty cool,” Russell said after Sunday’s final round. “Just there walking up 18, that’s when he stepped in. It was kind of a fun Father’s Day gift. Kind of cool since it was my first one. Hopefully it’s something he’ll remember for a long time.”

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Amateur Miles Russell of the United States walks across the 16th hole during the first round of the 126th U.S. OPEN at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club on June 18, 2026 in Southampton, New York. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images) (Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

Russell shot 3-over in the opening two rounds of the U.S. Open to make the cut by two shots. During Saturday’s third round, he struggled a bit en route to a 74, but backed it up with a final round score of even par.

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Miles Russell on the seventh tee during the first round of 126th U.S. Open Championship at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club on June 18, 2026 in Southampton, New York. (Photo by Tracy Wilcox/PGA TOUR via Getty Images) (Tracy Wilcox/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)

Russell qualified for this week’s U.S. Open after advancing in the final stage of qualifying in a three-man playoff vying for two spots in the field. He had Charlie Woods, Tiger’s son, on the bag as his caddie during the qualifier. Both Woods and Russell have committed to play college golf at Florida State.

In 2024, Russell became the youngest player in Korn Ferry Tour history to make the cut in a tournament, eventually finishing T-20

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Lakers likely to select a big man or wing in first round of NBA draft

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Lakers likely to select a big man or wing in first round of NBA draft

The Lakers will seek to use their 25th pick in Tuesday’s first round of the NBA draft on a player who fills a need on a roster that could have up to nine free agents this summer. Yet the Lakers also are aware that picking that late in the round could leave them selecting the best player available.

They probably will be in search of a center who can be a lob threat or an athletic wing who can play defense and knock down three-pointers, two positions the Lakers crave as they try to build a team around star Luka Doncic that fits best with his style of play.

Names that NBA executives and mock drafts attached to the Lakers are Kentucky center Jayden Quaintance, Texas forward Dailyn Swain and Duke wing Isaiah Evans.

The Lakers spent time in Spain looking at 20-year-old guard Sergio de Larrea, but many NBA scouts see him going later in the first round or even in the second. According to people not authorized to speak publicly, the Lakers were impressed by their workout with Purdue point guard Braden Smith. But he’s on the smaller side (6 feet) and played four years in college, leading scouts to believe his upside is not that high and that he’ll be drafted in the second round.

The Lakers don’t have a pick in Wednesday’s second round.

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After the Lakers were swept by a deep and athletic Oklahoma City team in the second round of the playoffs, president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka outlined what it takes when trying to compete in the uber-tough Western Conference against the likes of the Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs, who became the second-youngest team to reach the NBA Finals.

Pelinka looked at how Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell was drafted in the second round and how he flourished in just his second season, especially in the playoffs, in which he averaged 15.1 points and 4.3 assists in 11 games.

“Depth is really important, athleticism and youth. We have a lot of components of that on our roster, but we need to add to it,” Pelinka said last month during his exit interview with the media. “I think those are some of the key North Stars that we need to look at.

“One of the players that they had who played really well, Ajay Mitchell, they got in the second round. So there’s ways to add to your roster if you commit to doing the hard work and commit to the process of adding the right pieces. … We’ll be doing that through the draft and free agency and through trades. We’ve gotta find a way to have a roster that will compete with any team in the NBA. That’s what we do here.”

The Lakers do have three tradable first-round picks — 2026, 2031 and 2033 — but the latter two can’t be moved until after the draft.

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Lakers star LeBron James is an unrestricted free agent and is looking for a deal from the Lakers, while Austin Reaves is expected to opt out of his $14.8-million deal so he can sign a contract with them for up to five years and about $241 million.

Still, the Lakers have to proceed with the draft to find a player.

Texas forward Dailyn Swain, left, vies for a loose ball against Purdue guard Braden Smith during an NCAA tournament game in March.

(Godofredo A. Vásquez / Associated Press)

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Swain (6-7) and Evans (6-6) are the kind of athletic wings the Lakers could use, but both might be chosen before the Lakers make their pick.

The 6-9 Quaintance could slide to the Lakers because of health concerns. He played in only four games last season at Kentucky because the team was being cautious following knee surgery after he tore an anterior cruciate ligament when he played at Arizona State.

Scouts still view him as mobile, athletic and young enough — he turns 19 next month — to develop. But, Quaintance will need to rehab his knee and probably won’t be ready for the upcoming season. When healthy, scouts said, he can be the lob threat and defender that Doncic yearns to have.

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Bryce Harper hits for cycle, Kyle Schwarber blasts three homers in Phillies blowout win over Mets

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Bryce Harper hits for cycle, Kyle Schwarber blasts three homers in Phillies blowout win over Mets

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The Phillies’ turnaround following the dismissal of manager Rob Thomson reached a new milestone when two of the franchise’s biggest stars delivered a historic performance.

Kyle Schwarber launched three home runs, including two in the third inning, while Bryce Harper completed the cycle to add yet another achievement to his accomplished career.

The offensive explosion powered Philadelphia to a 15-3 rout of the New York Mets on Saturday, as the Phillies continued their surge and received a signature performance from two of the game’s most recognizable stars.

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Philadelphia Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber celebrates his home run with Bryce Harper during the third inning against the New York Mets in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on June 20, 2026. (Chris Szagola/AP)

Schwarber’s first home run traveled 456 feet, while his second blast of the third inning measured 457 feet off Mets reliever Cionel Pérez.

He capped his night with a two-run homer in the seventh inning. Schwarber’s major league-leading home run total climbed to 28, and the performance marked the fifth three-homer game of his career.

Cristopher Sanchez allowed one earned run in six innings to lower his ERA to 1.80.

It’s his 23rd straight start at Citizens Bank Park in which he allowed two earned runs or fewer, the second-most such starts by a pitcher at the same ballpark in MLB history since 1913, trailing only Jacob deGrom’s 24 at Citi Field for the Mets from Sept. 9, 2019 to Aug. 31, 2022.

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Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber of the Philadelphia Phillies leave the field after defeating the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on June 20, 2026. (Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Schwarber is the 67th player in major league history and second this season with multiple home runs in an inning, joining Houston’s Yordan Alvarez on June 12.

Schwarber is the fourth Phillies player to hit two home runs in an inning, along with Trea Turner (Aug. 19, 2023), Von Hayes (June 11, 1985) and Andy Seminick (June 2, 1949).

Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber hits a solo home run in the bottom of the third inning against the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on June 20, 2026. (Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

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Meanwhile, Harper hit a solo home run in the first inning, his 16th of the year. He doubled and singled in the third, then hit a two-run triple to the gap in left-center field in the fifth for his first career cycle and the 11th in Phillies history.

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The Phillies and Mets will wrap up their three-game series Sunday night, with first pitch set for 7:20 p.m. ET.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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