Ashleigh Barty was under siege by Naomi Osaka at the beginning of the Miami Open. Naomi Osaka had the opportunity to be the new world number 1 after the tournament in South Florida if she managed to win the event, and Ashleigh was not able to reach the final.
However, things got completely in the opposite direction. The Australian sensation won the Miami Open, while on the other side, Naomi Osaka crashed out as early as in the quarters. Therefore, Ashleigh kept her position at the top of the rankings with a 1,201 points-lead over Naomi.
Bianca Andreescu and Aryna Sabalenka
Talking about the other players, Bianca Andreescu gained 3 places in the rankings after reaching the final in Miami to be the new world number 6. Aryna Sabalenka lost in the quarters to Ashleigh Barty to gain 1 place and be the new world number 7.
Maria Sakkari was also in top form in Miami, where she reached the semifinals before losing to Bianca Andreescu. Maria gained 6 places to be ranked the number 19, which is her career-high.
Here are the top 10 players.
Click here to see all the WTA rankings.
Ashleigh Barty in 2021
At the moment ranked no.1, Ashleigh played her last match on the 3rd of April when she overcame world no.6 Bianca Andreescu 6-3 4-0 in the final in Miami to win her 10th career title.
Presently, during this year Ashleigh has a composed 14-2 record. The Australian has won 2 titles in 2021 in Melbourne and in Miami.
Naomi Osaka in 2021
Now ranked no.2, Naomi played her last match on the 31st of March when she capitulated to world no.19 Maria Sakkari 6-0 6-4 in the quarter in Miami (draw).
Currently, during this year Naomi achieved an overall 12-1 match record. Naomi clinched 1 title at the Australian Open.
Ashleigh Barty and Naomi Osaka squared off 4 times. Their head to head is 2-2. The last time they locked horns, Naomi Osaka won 3-6 6-3 6-2 in the final in Beijing (China Open) in October 2019.
You can see them in action in the following highlights.
Bianca Vanessa Andreescu in 2021
Ranked no.6, Andreescu played her last match on the 3rd of April when she had to retire when playing against world no.1 Ashleigh Barty in the final and the scoreline was 6-3 4-0 .
Presently, during this year the Canadian has a 9-3 match record. Bianca Vanessa Andreescu’s latest run in Miami was the best achievement of her season.
Aryna Sabalenka in 2021
Now ranked no.7 (career-high), Aryna played her last match on the 30th of March when she was defeated by world no.1 Ashleigh Barty 6-4 6-7(5) 6-3 in the quarter in Miami (draw).
This season the Belarussian has a 14-5 record. The Belarussian clinched 1 title in Abu Dhabi.
Bianca Vanessa Andreescu and Aryna Sabalenka played each other once. The head to head is 1-0 for Sabalenka. When they played, Aryna Sabalenka won 2-6 6-4 6-3 in the 2nd round in Manchester (Manchester) in June 2017.
