Osaka drops out of top five in WTA rankings

TOKYO (AFP): Naomi Osaka slipped out of the top five in the WTA rankings on Monday while Simona Halep, another former world number one, continued her slide by also dropping three places.

Four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka fell from fifth to eighth as Halep, who married boyfriend Toni Iuruc last week in a civil ceremony in her hometown of Constanta, tumbled down to 14th.

Ashleigh Barty remains top and French Open winner Barbora Krejcikova climbed to a career high of fifth.

Danish teenager Clara Tauson rose 18 places to 52nd after capturing her second title of the year in Luxembourg.

Italy’s Jasmine Paolini jumped from 87th to 64th following her first WTA title at Portoroz, Slovenia.

WTA rankings as of September 20:

1. Ashleigh Barty (AUS) 10075 pts

2. Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) 7720

3. Karolina Pliskova (CZE) 5315

4. Elina Svitolina (UKR) 4860

5. Barbora Krejcikova (CZE) 4668 (+2)

6. Iga Swiatek (POL) 4571 (+2)

7. Sofia Kenin (USA) 4413 (-1)

8. Naomi Osaka (JPN) 4326 (-3)

9. Garbine Muguruza (ESP) 4135

10. Petra Kvitova (CZE) 4060

11. Belinda Bencic (SUI) 3820 (+1)

12. Maria Sakkari (GRE) 3750 (+1)

13. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) 3285 (+1)

14. Simona Halep (ROM) 3152 (-3)

15. Angelique Kerber (GER) 3115

16. Elena Rybakina (KAZ) 3068 (+1)

17. Ons Jabeur (TUN) 2975 (+1)

18. Elise Mertens (BEL) 2890 (-2)

19. Coco Gauff (USA) 2815

20. Bianca Andreescu (CAN) 2777