Last week, the final preparations for the US Open wrapped up with the WTA 500 in Monterrey and the WTA 250 in Cleveland — two tournaments that gave their champions much-needed rebounds.
Diana Shnaider ended 2024 as the World No. 13, seemingly poised to go even higher after sweeping up four titles last year. The 21-year-old climbed to a career high of No. 11 in May but has found a breakthrough to the next level elusive. After a succession of coaching changes, she headed to Monterrey with a modest season record of 19-19.
But both Shnaider’s raw talent and battling spirit shone through in Mexico en route to her second WTA 500 trophy. In the quarterfinals, she faced a total of five match points — and trailed 5-1 in the third set — against Elise Mertens before pulling off one of the year’s greatest comebacks. In the final, she also overcame Ekaterina Alexandrova in three sets.
After falling out of the Top 20 last week, Shnaider has already rebounded, climbing five spots from No. 22 to No. 17 this week.
This time last year, Sorana Cirstea was on crutches, ending her season after Wimbledon after plantar fasciitis necessitated foot surgery. She returned to action in January, but fell out of the Top 100 the following month. But the 35-year-old Romanian has been steadily rebuilding her ranking with promising results such as a semifinal run in Iasi and a fourth-round showing in Cincinnati — and last week, she went all the way to the trophy in Cleveland. It’s just Cirstea’s third career title, and her first on hard courts since Tashkent 2008.
Cirstea climbs 41 places from No. 112 to No. 71 this week, the biggest numerical jump inside the Top 100.
Other notable rankings movements
Ekaterina Alexandrova, +2 to No. 12: Alexandrova continued the most consistent season of her career by reaching her second final of 2025 in Monterrey, a run that included a quarterfinal defeat of defending champion Linda Noskova. Alexandrova’s 2025 record is now 35-18, and she’s up to another new career high.
Marie Bouzkova, +9 to No. 44: Prague champion Bouzkova reached her second semifinal in her past three tournaments in Monterrey.
Alycia Parks, +15 to No. 56: Parks scored her seventh career Top 20 win, and third of the season, over Emma Navarro in Monterrey en route to her first WTA 500 semifinal.
Antonia Ruzic, +20 to No. 69: Croatian 22-year-old Ruzic reached her first WTA 500 quarterfinal as a qualifier in Monterrey, scoring her second Top 50 win of the month over four-time champion Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova along the way. Ruzic jumps to a new career high.
Anastasia Zakharova, +10 to No. 90: Zakharova, who reached her career high of No. 82 in July, made her first tour-level semifinal in Cleveland.
Carol Young Suh Lee, +33 to No. 277: Lee, 23, captured her fourth ITF trophy of the season at the Vigo ITF W35 two weeks ago, and enters the Top 300 for the first time. Lee, who represented the Northern Mariana Islands as a junior and now competes for the United States, extended her 2025 record to 66-15.
Jeline Vandromme, +39 to No. 495: Former junior No. 4 Vandromme, 17, is on a 17-match winning streak after sweeping three consecutive ITF titles in Roehampton (ITF W35) and Monastir (two ITF W15s). The Belgian teenager, who was ranked No. 754 a month ago, enters the Top 500 for the first time.
Tina Manescu, UNR to No. 1,060: Competing in just her second professional tournament, 15-year-old German Manescu qualified and reached the semifinals of the Erwitte ITF W35 two weeks ago.