Amanda Anisimova will drop to World No. 16 and fall outside the WTA Top 15 after withdrawing from the 2026 China Open in Beijing due to an ongoing left wrist injury. The American's withdrawal means she cannot defend the 1,000 ranking points she earned by winning the tournament last year, leaving her with a projected total of 2,363 points—158 points behind Victoria Mboko at No. 15.
Why the ranking hit is so severe
Anisimova's 2025 Beijing title was the source of her ranking cushion. When a defending champion does not compete, those points simply expire rather than being replaced by a new result, creating a dramatic drop. According to the WTA, her new standing of 2,363 points would place her 158 points behind Mboko, pushing her out of the elite top 15 for the first time in recent seasons.
A crowded withdrawal list
Anisimova is one of at least 17 players to withdraw from the China Open, including World No. 3 Jessica Pegula, World No. 10 Marta Kostyuk, and No. 15 Sorana Cirstea. The withdrawals underscore a pattern of injury concerns late in the season, with players citing wrist, knee, hip, abdominal, and leg injuries as reasons to skip the WTA 1000 event. The tournament runs from September 30 to October 11.
Implications for the WTA Finals race
The ranking loss also complicates Anisimova's bid to secure a spot at the WTA Finals in Riyadh. With fewer tournaments remaining on the calendar, she will need strong results at upcoming events to rebuild her points total and improve her position before the season concludes.
Sources
- Women's Tennis Association: Pegula, defending champion Anisimova pull out of China Open with injuries. Published 2026-09-25.
- Yahoo! Sports: Amanda Anisimova's WTA Ranking Set To Take a Hit After Beijing Withdrawal. Published 2026-09-26.
- Tennisuptodate.com: The players missing Beijing could be almost as important as the players playing. Published 2026-09-29.
Reported from public sources.