Rankings Watch: Krejcikova returns to Top 30, Sherif back in Top 60

The post-Wimbledon WTA 250 tournaments have traditionally been opportunities for breakthroughs and resurgences -- and last week's pair in Athens, Greece (on hard courts) and Iasi, Romania (on clay) saw plenty of both.

The champions and runners-up at both events all ended title droughts of multiple years. Athens champion Barbora Krejcikova won her ninth career title, her first since Wimbledon 2024 and first on hard courts since San Diego 2023. The former No. 2, who missed the first five months of 2025 with a back injury and another three months this year because of a thigh injury, climbs six places from No. 32 to No. 26 in the latest PIF WTA Rankings. She returns to the Top 30 for the first time since June 2025.

Iasi champion Mayar Sherif's turnaround began last month with the Brescia WTA 125 title, followed by another in Contrexéville two weeks ago. But while the former No. 31 now owns 10 WTA 125 titles, that success hadn't carried over to the WTA Tour. Between the start of 2025 and her Contrexéville run, Sherif went 2-16 in WTA main draws, compared to 59-25 across WTA 125, World Tennis and Billie Jean King Cup competition.

Sherif changed that in Iasi. She dropped just one set en route to her second tour-level title, following Parma 2021, and has now won 15 of her past 16 matches. She jumps 42 places from No. 97 to No. 55 this week, returning to the Top 60 for the first time since April 2025.

Athens runner-up Maria Sakkari enjoyed a landmark week on home soil. The inaugural event marked the WTA's return to Greece for the first time since 1990, and Sakkari became the first Greek player to reach a WTA final at home since her mother, Angeliki Kanellopoulou, finished runner-up in 1986. The former No. 3 advances four places from No. 37 to No. 33 after reaching her first final since Indian Wells 2024.

Iasi runner-up Paula Badosa also continued her strong form after winning the Bastad WTA 125 title two weeks ago. The former No. 2, who was ranked No. 142 at the end of June, saved herself from defeat twice before retiring in the final with a right thigh injury. Even so, she climbs 23 places from No. 115 to No. 93, returning to the Top 100 for the first time since March.

New career highs for Oliynykova, Korneeva

Alongside those resurgences, new faces continued to climb the rankings last week. In Iasi, Oleksandra Oliynykova reached her second WTA semifinal of the season after Cluj-Napoca in February -- both in Romania -- and rises seven places to a new career high of No. 45.

Meanwhile, 19-year-old Alina Korneeva -- the former junior No. 1 who struggled with wrist injuries in 2024 and 2025 -- continues to build on her return to health. Korneeva reached the Athens semifinals, highlighted by a quarterfinal win over fellow 2007-born standout Tereza Valentova, and climbs 15 places to a career-high No. 75.

Kraus, Tararudee, Francesca Jones boosted by WTA 125 titles

Three WTA 125 events were held last week -- in Istanbul (hard), Kitzbuhel (clay) and Rome (clay).

Kitzbuhel marked the city's first WTA or WTA 125 event since 1993, and home fans were rewarded with an all-Austrian final. Sinja Kraus defeated Julia Grabher 6-3, 6-1 to win her second WTA 125 title and climb 14 places to a career-high No. 80. Grabher rises nine spots to No. 107.

In Istanbul, Lanlana Tararudee captured her second WTA 125 title, following Austin in March, with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 victory over Hanne Vandewinkel. Both reach career highs this week: Tararudee climbs nine places to No. 82, while Vandewinkel rises six to equal her previous peak of No. 92.

Francesca Jones completed the WTA 125 winners' circle in Rome, where she earned her third title at that level. After entering the week with an 11-17 record in 2026, the Briton climbs 10 places to No. 113. Runner-up Lucia Bronzetti also moves in the right direction, rising 19 places to No. 120.

Other notable rankings movements

Zheng Qinwen, +12 to No. 123: Former No. 4 Zheng reached her first quarterfinal since Queen's 2025 in Athens.

Tamara Zidansek, +14 to No. 134: Former No. 22 Zidansek reached her first semifinal since Hua Hin in September 2024 in Iasi. Zidansek's quarterfinal win over Petra Marcinko was the Slovenian's first Top 50 victory since defeating Paula Badosa in the 2021 Roland Garros quarterfinals.

Kayla Cross, +32 to No. 168: The 21-year-old Canadian is up to a new career high after winning her first W75 title last week in Granby. Cross was previously a two-time Grand Slam girls' doubles finalist in 2022 alongside Victoria Mboko.

Elena Pridankina, +17 to No. 184: Pridankina returns to the Top 200 after qualifying and reaching the second round of Iasi.

Martyna Kubka, +36 to No. 185: The 25-year-old Pole enters the Top 200 for the first time after capturing her first W75 title in Vitoria-Gasteiz on hard courts last week. Kubka's 2026 record is now 37-13.

Carole Monnet, +13 to No. 192: Monnet reached the second round of Athens -- her first tour-level win since Budapest 2024 -- after saving two match points to defeat Rebeka Masarova 4-6, 6-2, 7-6(10), the second-longest third-set regular tiebreak of the season so far.

Julie Struplova, +63 to No. 207: The 21-year-old Czech soars to a new career high after winning her first W75 title last week in Olomouc.

Alicia Dudeney, +19 to No. 224: Dudeney collected her fifth World Tennis title of 2026, and first at W50 level, last week in Nottingham. The 23-year-old Briton rises to a new career high.

Alevtina Ibragimova, +39 to No. 236: Ibragimova qualified in Iasi to make her WTA main-draw debut, then reached the second round -- where she stretched Paula Badosa all the way, leading 4-1 in the third set before falling to the eventual finalist. The 21-year-old climbs to a new career high this week.

Sara Saito, +40 to No. 241: Saito climbed to a career high of No. 150 as a 17-year-old in 2024, but had fallen to No. 326 by this April. The Japanese 19-year-old is on the way back up after reaching her first final of 2026 last week at the Granby W75.

Elena Micic, +33 to No. 269: The 22-year-old Australian -- who made the final round of Australian Open qualifying in 2025 -- enters the Top 300 for the first time after qualifying in Athens to make her tour-level debut, then making the second round.

Vera Zvonareva, +22 to No. 285: The 41-year-old former No. 2 is back in the Top 300 for the first time since August 2024 after reaching last week's Istanbul WTA 125 quarterfinals.

Gina Feistel, +25 to No. 296: After reaching a career high of No. 296 in December 2024, Feistel competed in just two tournaments for the next seven months and started 2026 down at No. 710. The 23-year-old Pole has compiled a 32-14 record this season, including her first WTA 125 semifinal run last week in Kitzbuhel, and matches her career high this week.

Radka Zelnickova, +92 to No. 338: The 23-year-old Slovak is up to a new career high after reaching her first W75 final last week in Olomouc.

Rositsa Dencheva, +64 to No. 349: The 19-year-old Bulgarian won her second W35 title of the year last week in Buzau, and rises to a new career high.

Miriana Tona, +31 to No. 353: At the age of 31, Italy's Tona won her first WTA main-draw match last week in Athens -- a 3-hour, 8-minute first-round barnburner over Sapfo Sakellaridi.

Hannah Klugman, +43 to No. 371: The 17-year-old Briton enters the Top 400 for the first time after reaching her first W50 final last week in Nottingham.

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