US Open Ranking Movers: Who Takes World No. 1 in New York
The US Open ranking movers of 2026 split into two very different stories. On the WTA side, Elena Rybakina can take world No. 1 from Aryna Sabalenka simply by reaching the semifinals.
On the ATP side, Jannik Sinner keeps the top spot without hitting a ball, because a knee injury has ruled him out and his lead is too large to lose.
Jump to: Risers and fallers | WTA race for No. 1 | ATP race for No. 1 | Points table | Calendar quirk | Live results | FAQ
The table below refreshes every week with the latest ATP and WTA movement. Below it, the points behind each climb and fall.
Tennis Ranking Movers of the Week
ATP
Lucas Poullain was #500▲ 131
Duncan Chan was #606▲ 120
Gabriele Piraino was #404▲ 83
Spencer Johnson was #524▲ 79
Sebastian Sorger was #479▲ 69
Edas Butvilas was #268▲ 64
Pyotr Nesterov was #364▲ 63
Oliver Tarvet was #436▲ 56
Juncheng Shang was #281▲ 53 Ozan Baris was #486▲ 53 Sebastian Korda was #50▼ 14 Filip Misolic was #464▼ 12
Blake Ellis was #465▼ 12
Kei Nishikori was #467▼ 12
Pedro Vives Marcos was #468▼ 12 Luca Potenza was #470▼ 12 Quinn Vandecasteele was #471▼ 12
Dušan Obradović was #472▼ 12
Facundo Mena was #333▼ 11 Hamish Stewart was #334▼ 11WTA
Jana Kovackova was #550▲ 116
Rada Zolotareva was #377▲ 92 Lidia Encheva was #440▲ 87
Sonja Zhiyenbayeva was #454▲ 70
Yelyzaveta Kotliar was #423▲ 67 Luna Vujović was #414▲ 64 Nadia Podoroska was #511▲ 64 Lois Boisson was #281▲ 45 Alana Smith was #463▲ 43 Chengyiyi Yuan was #481▲ 39 Veronika Kudermetova was #145▼ 278 Clervie Ngounoue was #362▼ 139 Aoi Ito was #289▼ 80 Hannah Klugman was #365▼ 72
Miriam Bulgaru was #252▼ 71 Viktoriya Tomova was #259▼ 56
Dana Guzman was #444▼ 53 Tatiana Pieri was #387▼ 51 Ekaterina Khayrutdinova was #447▼ 47 Varvara Gracheva was #106▼ 42This Week’s Risers and Fallers
Rankings run on a rolling 52 weeks. A player first drops the points won at this event last year, then adds whatever they win this year. Match the old result and nothing changes. Do worse and the ranking falls, even after winning matches. For the full standings rather than the weekly movement, see the live tennis rankings.
US Open Ranking Movers on the WTA Side
Sabalenka started the fortnight on 8,575 points. Rybakina sat 434 behind on 8,141. Because Sabalenka is defending 2,000 points as champion, the top ranking is no longer in her hands alone. The WTA’s official breakdown leaves four players able to hold or take it.
- Elena Rybakina becomes No. 1 the moment she reaches the semifinals, whatever anyone else does. She also takes it without winning a match if Sabalenka, Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff all fail to win the title. She already leads the WTA Race.
- Aryna Sabalenka must win a third straight US Open title and have Rybakina lose before the semifinals. A three peat would make her the first woman since Serena Williams in 2012 to 2014 to win three in a row in New York.
- Jessica Pegula, seeded third, needs the same double: win the title, with Rybakina out before the semifinals. It would be her first week at No. 1.
- Coco Gauff, seeded fourth, has the identical path, arriving on the back of her Cincinnati title.
That makes Rybakina’s quarterfinal the most consequential match of the women’s fortnight for the rankings. She is seeded second, and Iga Swiatek, who beat her in both Toronto and Cincinnati this summer, sits in the same quarter of the draw.
US Open Ranking Movers on the ATP Side
Sinner withdrew with a right knee injury, his first missed major since 2019. He is only the second reigning No. 1 to skip the US Open since the ATP Rankings began in 1973, after Pete Sampras pulled out with a back injury in 1999. Sinner drops the 1,300 points from last year’s final, lands on 11,500, and still leads by close to 2,000 even if Alexander Zverev lifts the trophy. The real movement is underneath him.
- Alexander Zverev is the top seed at a major for the first time in his career. He lost early here in 2025, so only 100 points come off. He cannot pass Sinner in the rankings this fortnight, but he trails him by 1,300 in the Race. Win the title and he leads the Race by 700, with a live shot at his first year end No. 1.
- Carlos Alcaraz carries the heaviest load. The defending champion drops 2,000 and starts at roughly 5,160 in the live rankings. This is his first singles event since April, after wrist tenosynovitis cost him Roland Garros and Wimbledon. In the Race he is third, about 220 points ahead of Flavio Cobolli.
- Felix Auger-Aliassime and Novak Djokovic, fourth and fifth in the rankings, were both 2025 semifinalists here. Each loses 800 points. An early exit could push Djokovic toward the edge of the top 10.
- Flavio Cobolli reached a career high No. 6 after his Cincinnati semifinal. He retired hurt in the third round here last year, so almost everything he wins is profit.
- Ben Shelton, ninth, also retired in the third round in 2025, with a shoulder injury. Same situation, 100 points to defend, plenty of upside.
- Arthur Fils won Cincinnati to reach a career high No. 11. One strong week gives him a top 10 debut.
- Alex de Minaur, Taylor Fritz, Lorenzo Musetti and Jiri Lehecka were the 2025 quarterfinalists. Each drops 400.
How US Open Points Work
Every round pays the same each year, so the arithmetic is simple once you know the ladder.
| Round reached | ATP points | WTA points |
|---|---|---|
| Champion | 2,000 | 2,000 |
| Runner up | 1,300 | 1,300 |
| Semifinal | 800 | 780 |
| Quarterfinal | 400 | 430 |
| Round of 16 | 200 | 240 |
| Third round | 100 | 130 |
| Second round | 50 | 70 |
| First round | 10 | 10 |
A player who lost in round two last year and reaches the quarterfinals this year gains 350 points on the ATP side. Multiply that across a 128 player draw and you have the weekly churn this page tracks.
The Calendar Quirk Worth Knowing
The 2026 main draw runs from August 30 to September 13, a week later than the 2025 edition, which finished on September 7. Over the same fortnight, WTA players therefore also shed points from the week of September 8, 2025, when Guadalajara staged a WTA 500 and San Sebastian a WTA 125. Anyone who scored there falls further than her New York result alone explains. The ATP had no points paying event that week, so the men’s side is unaffected.
Follow the Results That Drive the Movement
Seeds losing early and unseeded players running deep create almost all of it, and both happen constantly in week one.
- Daily results: every completed score, round by round.
- Live scores: matches in progress.
- Full bracket: the 128 player tree as it advances.
- The draw: seeds, matchups and projected paths.
- Live tennis rankings: the full ATP and WTA tables.
The biggest US Open ranking movers this year will not all be the winners. Rybakina can reach No. 1 without lifting the trophy. Alcaraz can win four matches and still slide. Cobolli, Shelton and Fils can climb simply by lasting into the second week. New ATP and WTA rankings land every Monday, and the set that reflects this tournament publishes on Monday, September 14.
FAQ About US Open Ranking Movers
Who can become world No. 1 at the 2026 US Open?
Four women can: Elena Rybakina, Aryna Sabalenka, Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff. Rybakina secures it by reaching the semifinals. On the ATP side no one can catch Jannik Sinner, who stays No. 1 despite withdrawing with a knee injury.
Can Elena Rybakina reach No. 1 without winning the title?
Yes. Reaching the semifinals guarantees it regardless of other results. She can even take it without winning a match, provided Sabalenka, Pegula and Gauff all fail to win the title.
Does Jannik Sinner stay world No. 1 while injured?
Yes. He drops the 1,300 points from last year’s final and sits on 11,500. Even if Alexander Zverev wins the title, Sinner finishes the fortnight roughly 2,000 points clear. Zverev can only take over the Race, not the rankings.
How many ranking points does the US Open champion get?
2,000 on both tours. The runner up takes 1,300. A semifinalist earns 800 on the ATP and 780 on the WTA.
How many points is Carlos Alcaraz defending?
2,000 as defending champion. Once they come off he starts at roughly 5,160 points, third behind Sinner and Zverev, and this is his first singles event since a wrist injury in April.
Why do players lose ranking points at the US Open?
Rankings cover a rolling 52 weeks. Whatever a player earned here last year drops off when this year’s tournament begins, so they must repeat that result just to stand still.
When do the new ATP and WTA rankings come out?
Every Monday. The rankings reflecting this tournament publish on Monday, September 14, the day after the men’s final.