2026 WTA News & Gossip

[MargaretMcAleer]

WTA announces that all 1000 events will have equal prize money for the first time in 2027, a goal that it set in 2023

Mandatory 500s have been reduced from 6 to 4.'They have also allowed players to replace one eligible WTA1000 tournament results with a stronger WTA500 or 250 result on their ranking

The new WTA250 in Manila, Philipines in November, the week before Finals in Charlotte.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Anastasia Potapova has shut down her 2026 season, following a retirement WTA100 Beijing ( shoulder). Potapova confirmed her body is signaling the need for rest and recovery after dealing with various physical struggles through out the year, she intends to focus on getting fully healthy to return for the 2027 season

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Coco Gauff has withdrawn from WTA1000 Wuhan citing fatique, she said as the defending champion, she is sad to withdraw but her body needs time to rest and recover
Other withdrawals for Wuhan,
Rybakina, Anisimova, Osaka, Keys, Navarro, Potapova, Krejcikova, Pliskova

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

I found this interesting,
WTA Players vs Top Ten in 2026,

Sabalenka, 7-3 (70%)
Rybakina 10-5 (66.7%)
Svitolina 8-5 (61.5%)
Muchova 6-5 (54.5%)
Kostyuk 8-7 (53.3%)
Pegula 7-7 (50.0%)
Gauff 5-6 (44.5%)
Noskova 4.5 (40.4%)
Swiatek 4-6 (40.00%)
Andreeva 1-5 (16.7%)

I was surprised how low the percentage was for Andreeva

 

[kskate2]

I found this interesting,
WTA Players vs Top Ten in 2026,

Sabalenka, 7-3 (70%)
Rybakina 10-5 (66.7%)
Svitolina 8-5 (61.5%)
Muchova 6-5 (54.5%)
Kostyuk 8-7 (53.3%)
Pegula 7-7 (50.0%)
Gauff 5-6 (44.5%)
Noskova 4.5 (40.4%)
Swiatek 4-6 (40.00%)
Andreeva 1-5 (16.7%)

I was surprised how low the percentage was for Andreeva

Not really surprised w/ Mirra's #'s. Remember, she didn't have to play any top players in that RG run and actually except for the clay, she's had a dismal year.

 

[kskate2]

Jasmine Paolini has rehired Marc Lopez as her coach, lets see how she goes this time with Marc

What is Jaz doing? She rehired the wrong coach. She needs to go back to her original coach when she reached slam finals.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

What is Jaz doing? She rehired the wrong coach. She needs to go back to her original coach when she reached slam finals.

I agree, I was very surprised she went and re hired Marc, and her play quite frankly has not improved

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

New WTA Top 10, ( after Beijing) Monday 12th October,

1. Rybakina 9,696
2. Sabalenka 7,485
3. Andreeva 6,371 ( +2) Career High
4. Pegula 6,225 (-1)
5. Gauff 5,974 (-1)
6. Svitolina 5,024 (+1)
7. Muchova 4,773 (+1)
8. Noskova 4,679 (-2)
9. Swiatek 3,999
10. Kostyuk 3,910

WTA Race after Beijing,

1. Rybakina 7502 Q
2. Sabalenka 6560 Q
3. Andreeva 6371 Q
4. Pegula 5835 Q
5. Gauff 5774 Q
6. Svitolina 5024
7. Muchova 4625
8. Noskova 4354 Q ( as Wimbledon Champion)


9. Kostyuk 3920
10.Swiatek 3809


New Career Highs on WTA Top 100,

3. Andreeva
11 Jovic
29 Bartunkova
40.Birrell
60.Tararudee
62.Timofeeva
76.Krauff
84.Sawangkaew
86.Preston
99.Charaeva

 

[PhiEaglesfan712]

It looks like a 3-way race for the Year End #1. Rybakina has to defend almost 2200 points from now to the end of the year, Sabalenka 925, and Andreeva nothing. Andreeva looks like the next #1 player. If she doesn't get it by Year End, she'll almost certainly get there at some point in Q1 2027 (barring injury), as Rybakina and Sabalenka just have so much to defend from now until the end of March (compared to Mirra, remember she was in a slump in Q4 2025 and Q1 2026).

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Andreeva has withdrawn from Wuhan, I am not surprised, she cited schedule change, to date there hasnt been any confirmed tournaments before IW, there are a couple of WTA 500 before IW,
Sabalenka is still playing WTA1000 Wuhan so you would think she will take over No 1 position in the race to the finals
Of course Rybakina has withdrawn in Wuhan with a foot injury, her participation in tournaments before IW is still unconfirmed due to her foot injury

 

[kskate2]

It all depends w/ Saba. She can make up ground this year w/ Wuhan and the WTA finals. She also didn't win AO, Doha or Dubai. She could make up ground there before defending the Sunshine Doub. Should be interesting.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

It all depends w/ Saba. She can make up ground this year w/ Wuhan and the WTA finals. She also didn't win AO, Doha or Dubai. She could make up ground there before defending the Sunshine Doub. Should be interesting.

Agree with Saba, though again it all depends on her mentality issues, which have let her down this year., winning the title in Wuhan where she has played well before she is going for her 4th title, will give her the added confidence bonus she needs, she is a confidence player.,helping her towards the WTA Finals at IW
I am still out on Andreeva and her temperament, though I must say she held it together against Zheng in the final of Beijing and her 1st serve needs improvement for consistency, though she does have youth on her side.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Breaking News,

Starting in 2027, the WTA will no longer use ranking points for Finals qualification
Instead 8 "Star of the Swing" poll winners will qualify. If one player wins all 8 polls, they'll be crowned WTA Finals Champion by default