Ash Barty's huge rankings boost despite Wimbledon loss

Yahoo Sport Australia

15 July 2019 at 11:08 pm

Ashleigh Barty has hung on to top place in the WTA rankings despite crashing out of Wimbledon in the last 16.

The French Open champion, who was hoping to become the first Australian to win at the All England Club since Evonne Goolagong Cawley in 1980, lost in three sets to the American Alison Riske.

Barty's earlier than expected exit could have left the Aussie's lead at the top of women's tennis under threat.

However, the next two players on the list - Naomi Osaka and Karolina Pliskova - both suffered shock first round losses.

As a result, the top three of Barty, Osaka and Pliskova remains unchanged, with several other big movers capitalising at the All England Club.

Simona Halep, who demolished Serena Williams in under an hour in Saturday's final, moves up three places to number four.

Simona Halep jumped three places to four in the world rankings after her Wimbledon triumph. Pic: Getty

Williams also moves up one place to nine.

Former world number one Angelique Kerber, who lost to Lauren Davis in the second round at Wimbledon, drops out of the top 10 to 13.

Barty will now be looking towards the Rogers Cup in Toronto - an event where she made the semi-finals in 2018 - as the next opportunity to consolidate her World No.1 status.

The 23-year-old will also be confident of defending her points at the year's final major, the US Open - where she bowed out against Karolina Pliskova in the round of 16 last year.

Ash Barty will be hoping to cement her World No.1 status during her upcoming hardcourt tournaments. Pic: Getty

Barty's chances of ending the year as number one could then hinge on defending her points in November's WTA Elite Trophy in China - a tournament she famously won in 2018 to cap off a memorable year.

WTA rankings as of July 15 (changes in brackets):

1. Ashleigh Barty (AUS) 6,605 pts

2. Naomi Osaka (JAP) 6,257

3. Karolina Pliskova (CZE) 6,055

4. Simona Halep (ROU) 5,933 (+3)

5. Kiki Bertens (NED) 5,130 (-1)

6. Petra Kvitova (CZE) 4,785

7. Elina Svitolina (UKR) 4,638 (+1)

8. Sloane Stephens (USA) 3,802 (+1)

9. Serena Williams (USA) 3,411 (+1)

10. Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) 3,365 (+1)

11. Anastasija Sevastova (LAT) 3,356 (+1)

12. Belinda Bencic (SUI) 2,963 (+1)

13. Angelique Kerber (GER) 2,875 (-8)

14. Qiang Wang (CHN) 2,872 (+1)

15. Johanna Konta (GBR) 2,790 (+3)

16. Marketa Vondrousova (CZE) 2,762 (-2)

17. Madison Keys (USA) 2,555 (-1)

18. Caroline Wozniacki (SUI) 2,478 (+1)

19. Anett Kontaveit (EST) 2,335 (+1)

20. Petra Martic (CRO) 2,335 (+4)

With agencies