Who are the top three players in the WTA Race?

Mirra Andreeva leads, followed by Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina. These three have built a substantial margin over the rest of the field.

How close is Elina Svitolina to the top three?

Svitolina is nearly 1,300 points behind sixth place. Winning the Bad Homburg title would allow her to close the gap to Rybakina and claim a top-three spot.

Andreeva leads WTA Race to Riyadh as grass swing reshapes qualification

Darren Leung

ATP, WTA, rankings

Published June 23, 2026Last updated June 27, 2026

wta grand-slam

Mirra Andreeva holds the lead in the WTA Race to Riyadh with 2026 calendar-year points, ahead of Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina. The grass swing is reshaping the qualification battle for the eight WTA Finals spots, with Linda Noskova's Berlin title win affecting the standings and players from sixth to 15th place separated by only a few points.

Key facts

Mirra Andreeva leads the WTA Race to Riyadh with calendar-year points, ahead of Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina, the two Grand Slam champions this season. (source)
Linda Noskova won the Berlin Ladies Open, defeating Jessica Pegula in the final, a WTA 500 title. (source)
The WTA Race determines the eight players who qualify for the WTA Finals and uses only calendar-year points earned from 2026, unlike the WTA ranking which covers the last 52 weeks. (source)
Elina Svitolina has 3,999 points and is nearly 1,300 points behind sixth place, with only a Berlin title potentially moving her into the top three. (source)

Mirra Andreeva maintains the top position in the WTA Race to Riyadh despite not yet competing on grass courts this season. The race, which tracks calendar-year points earned in 2026, determines the eight players who qualify for the WTA Finals and the year-end rankings. Andreeva leads Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina, the two Grand Slam champions this season, in a dominant trio that has built a substantial margin over the rest of the field.

How does the grass swing affect the race?

Linda Noskova's victory at the Berlin Ladies Open, where she defeated Jessica Pegula in the final, reshaped the standings this week. The grass-court season is proving decisive for qualification, with results from the next few weeks before Wimbledon likely to determine who reaches Riyadh with realistic chances of advancing from the group stage. Players ranked sixth through 15th in the race are separated by only a few points, making each tournament result critical.

Who is closest to breaking into the top three?

Elina Svitolina and Jessica Pegula occupy fourth and fifth place but remain more than 1,000 points behind the leading trio. Svitolina, competing this week in Bad Homburg, would need a title to close the gap to Rybakina and claim a top-three spot. Pegula sits in an intermediate position, trailing Svitolina by roughly 500 points but more than 700 points behind fourth place, leaving her qualification hopes dependent on strong results in the coming weeks.

Sources

Yardbarker: WTA Race Update | Mirra Andreeva holds top spot as Sabalenka-Rybakina chase, Mboko injury reshapes Riyadh fight. Published 2026-06-23.

Reported from public sources.

Frequently asked questions

What is the WTA Race to Riyadh?: The WTA Race tracks calendar-year points earned in 2026 and determines the eight players who qualify for the WTA Finals and the year-end rankings. It differs from the WTA ranking, which covers the last 52 weeks of competition.
Who are the top three players in the WTA Race?: Mirra Andreeva leads, followed by Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina. These three have built a substantial margin over the rest of the field.
How close is Elina Svitolina to the top three?: Svitolina is nearly 1,300 points behind sixth place. Winning the Bad Homburg title would allow her to close the gap to Rybakina and claim a top-three spot.