Iga Swiatek withdraws from Ningbo Open due to injury
Iga Swiatek withdrew from the Ningbo Open because of a left thigh injury, ending her bid to qualify for the WTA Finals. This setback impacts her ability to defend her title and affects the ranking race between Aryna Sabalenka and world number two Swiatek.
Iga Swiatek withdrew from the 2026 Ningbo Open on Tuesday because of an ongoing left thigh injury. The world number 9 managed the pain for weeks following her semifinal loss to Maja Chwalinska in Wuhan. This decision effectively ends her bid to qualify for the WTA Finals. Marta Kostyuk may claim the final qualification spot because of this exit. Anastasia Zakharova will replace Swiatek in the Ningbo main draw after falling in qualifying. Swiatek described this as one of the most demanding seasons of her career. She cited the need for rest and recovery as she enters the season’s final stretch. Swiatek has won more singles titles than anyone in each of the past three seasons. Her withdrawal prevents her from defending the WTA Finals title she won last year. She has spent 125 weeks as world number one. The Polish star faces the challenge of regaining form after this physical setback as she finishes the tour. The tournament in Ningbo will proceed without her presence.
Gauff finds form despite serving issues
Coco Gauff holds the world number 3 ranking and recently secured her 14th straight win at the China Open. You already know how much her recent form matters for the end of the season. Gauff beat Petra Martic 7-5, 5-7, 7-6 (2) in Beijing after a three hour battle. She overcame a break in the deciding set to win the match. However, she struggled with her serve during her recent Wuhan campaign. She hit 21 double faults against Aryna Sabalenka, which set a career record for her in a singles match. This serving error led to her loss in the semifinals. Gauff has worked with Matt Daly to fix her serve. She also parted ways with Brad Gilbert. This victory in Beijing helped her move past Pegula in the rankings. Pegula, who is the world number 4, beat Anna Blinkova 6-7 (2), 6-2, 6-1 in just over two hours. Gauff was the flag-bearer for the US tennis team at the Paris Olympics. She remains a major contender after her 2023 US Open victory.
Ranking points and the Riyadh draw
The WTA Finals in Riyadh will host the top seven players and the highest-placed Grand Slam winner. Sabalenka leads the rankings with 9016 points, while Swiatek sits second with 7970 points. Because Swiatek must defend the WTA Finals title she won last year, Sabalenka has a clear path to the number one ranking as the Belarusian star currently holds 9016 points to Swiatek’s 7970. Gauff sits in the Orange Group alongside Swiatek, Jessica Pegula, and Barbora Krejcikova. Gauff faces the challenge of playing Swiatek if she wants to win her first championship. Can Gauff maintain her momentum to overtake Sabalenka for the number two spot?
| Player | 2026 Prize Money | WTA Ranking |
|---|---|---|
| Elena Rybakina | $2,724,432 | No. 6 |
| Aryna Sabalenka | $1,614,297 | No. 1 |
| Coco Gauff | $1,039,965 | No. 3 |
The 2026 WTA season, sponsored by Mercedes-Benz, contains 57 events with 10 WTA 1000 tournaments. Rybakina leads the prize money list with $2,724,432. Sabalenka follows with $1,614,297. Gauff follows with $1,039,965. Pegula reached the final of the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo recently. Gauff has made three consecutive appearances in the year-ending event. Gauff, who is 20 years old, aims to win her first WTA Finals crown. She must contend with the ranking pressure of her previous successes. Gauff will travel to the event after her hard court swing in Asia.
