My pre-Sunshine Swing WTA Top 10

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We got to turn our eyes forward as of course with the start of March comes the start of

one of my favorite stretches on the tennis calendar.

It's time for the start of the Sunshine Swing.

These back to back 1000 level events we have in the month of March here in the United States.

It kicks off with Indian Wells, which by the way, begins this week.

Of course that folds directly into the 1000 level action in Miami as well.

If you're a top player in the world and you're healthy, you're playing over the course

of the next month.

These consecutive events and thus as tennis fans, again, for a second time here in 2026,

we get treated to the best in the world going head to head against one another.

Again, this Sunshine Swing really the symbolic ending to the first quarter of the 2026 season.

So plenty of exciting action ahead, of course, we'll have many break podcasts breaking

down each and every day of action in Indian Wells.

I'm be fortunate to be broadcasting some of those matches for our friends at tennis channel

throughout the early round action.

Of course, before though play gets underway, it's the first Monday of a new month.

And of course, I'm the first Monday of each month.

I try my best to offer a snapshot of where things stand at the top of the tennis world,

the best mechanism best vehicle I know to do that with is by offering my personal top

10 rankings at the start of each and every month.

And I know what you're thinking, right?

How busy really was February for the top players in the tennis world?

The answer?

Pretty darn busy.

Obviously, on the women's side, it helps we had two 1,000 level events on the calendar.

And yes, there were plenty of top players who pulled out of one, if not both, of those

events.

Obviously, in the case of World No. 1 Arena, Sabelanka, we did not see her at all in February.

But you still saw Rebecca and I play both events, Fiontech played an event, Pagula 1,

one of those events, all the Americans, obviously the teenagers, Andriva, Emboco, each having

moments that go head to head against one another.

I actually thought in particular in this edition of the show going to focus on the WTA side,

we'll talk about the men more on our third podcast of the day.

But I thought we learned a lot on the women's side in the month of February.

We, not as much new information, although there were still pockets of that, if that's

what you were looking for.

But perhaps even further, we got more data points to just consolidate some takes that had

been stirring in the ether of the broader women's tennis universe.

Like, again, we kind of knew Victoria Emboco was here to stay after the month of February.

There's just no doubt she's in the mix now, moving forward, similarly again.

We know, apparently, Neumuhuba win healthy plays, no worse than top 12 tennis in the world.

Well, lo and behold, we've had a stretch of, nah, I'm knocking on wood, even as I say,

at five consecutive months of Muhuba health.

Yeah, she's going to not even stumble.

I don't like the connotation of that.

She's going to work her way to the championship weekend of a big event if she's healthy for

five months, consecutively.

She does that in the month of February, not a ton of movement, accordingly, in my WTA

top 10 to start this month, compared to where we were one month ago, when we did this

exercise post-Australian open, accordingly, I wanted to adjust this exercise a little

bit.

In particular, I wanted to adjust it with the sunshine swing in mind, so to help serve

as a defective preview for who the top contenders are at Indy and Wells.

And I do think it's fairly intuitive, just given the stability in the best way we have

seen settle in at the top of, honestly, both the men's and women's tennis worlds, much

more so, though, on the women's side.

What are the expectations for my top 10 players?

Do I, would I consider a successful, not only Indy and Wells, but sunshine swing more

broadly for each of these players?

What am I looking for?

What would cause me to panic?

I want to try to address that as I reveal each of my top 10 players here to start the

month of March.

Of course, the reason I can do that day and day out, because of the support we get from

all of these listeners, and, of course, because of the support we get from our friends

at the Laurel Spring School to learn more about why they continue to rank amongst the top

private online schooling options in the country, visit LaurelSprings.com today.

Oh, by the way, new crack interviews up podcast out with Rutgers, Women's Tennis Coach Hillary

Richie, great shot podcast recapping last weekend's busy college tennis action.

Of course, going to be available Tuesday Wednesday night on our crack records YouTube channel

as live shows the next day, correspondingly, as great shot podcasts.

So we got a lot of great content on the horizon.

Make sure you're subscribed to everything so you don't miss out on any of our coverage.

With that said, let's break it down.

My WTA top 10, as we get ready for the start of the sunshine swing.

I think it's pretty boring at the top again, not a ton of movement in any direction, at

least as it relates to the top tier.

I know we didn't see her play a single match.

Arena Seblanka is still my number one.

I don't need to see Arena Seblanka play a busy calendar.

She's proven over the course of multiple seasons now, consecutively, not just at the majors,

but at all the biggest events.

Arena Seblanka is going to be in the mix for a title.

In fact, you probably have to go all the way back to Miami 2024 to find her last disappointing

1000 level result, right?

That Miami 2024, she loses round of 32 to Amalena Kalinina.

She lost round of 16 to Aminavaro, that Indian Wells as well.

There's a lot of stuff going on in her personal life at that time.

Even then, there can be an explainer, but since then, everything she's played, that spring

she goes finals Madrid, finals Rome, she goes quarter finals Toronto, finals Cincinnati,

quarter finals Beijing, title Wuhan, no disappointments, the rest of 2024.

Obviously, last season, if there was a big event on the calendar, Arena Seblanka was

making the final, whether it was Indian Wells, Miami, Stuttgart, Madrid, okay, she lost

quarter finals Rome, whatever, no shame in that.

Quarter finals Cincinnati to Rabakina, no shame in that, semi finals Wuhan, like she

just doesn't disappoint at the biggest events anymore.

And so I didn't need to see anything from her, particularly coming off of an opening

month, where again, outside of one championship match, where you had two players playing

world, number one quality tennis, that's still two players playing world number one quality

tennis.

Again, she was 11 and 0 coming into that match and hadn't dropped the set yet on the

year.

Arena Seblanka is just fine.

Over the last 52 weeks, one of three players, it's her, Iga, Andriva, top 10 in both

holding break percentage, that break percentage up to number 10, which is higher than you typically

see Seblanka sit.

Her power tennis, her fluidity, her willingness to get forward, I keep mentioning it every

time I bring her up the volleys, like how well she actually finishes those points at the

net.

It's what completes what is the best power tennis player we have and women's tennis, in

my opinion, the best clone, the closest I have seen someone to dominate at her best,

the way Serena would dominate at her best, just in terms of game style, that they play,

what do I want, what are the expectations for Arena Seblanka?

I mean, she could sweep the sunshine swing.

That's how good Arena Seblanka can be, last year she goes finals title.

You know, again, even if she goes quarter final, quarter final, or round two semi final,

or, you know, God forbid, two pre-quarter final exits, it does not change my trajectory

for Arena Seblanka.

I would need to see Arena Seblanka struggle for multiple months consecutively, I would

need to see her quarter final plus streak snap that a major, I would need to see the

Serf fall apart because if it doesn't, I just don't know what else outside of her game

really could, other than maybe just falling out of love with it, but I think when that

happens, she'll just step away from the game and stop playing, that continue to play

at a poor sub, you know, she's a perfectionist, she's the ultimate competitor, you see how hard

she wears every loss.

So no, like I know she's the world number one again, what should the reasonable expectations

be?

There are two events, that's what Arena Seblanka is capable of doing.

There is no downside that could impact, you know, if, you know, if Rabakina wins each

of these events, if Shiontek sweeps the sunshine swing, I think short of one of those two things

happening, and I'm talking full sweep, like Shiontek could win Indien Wells, Rabakina

could win Miami, Seblanka could lose first round of each, well then it gets a little interesting.

Shiontek wins Indien Wells and like semi-Miami, and Seblanka lost first match of both

event.

Would that be enough for me to have Shiontek supplant Seblanka as the number one, going

into a clay court swing, we're more often than not, she's been the number one player in

the world.

That's a fascinating thought exercise.

Here's the thing, short of that, and we're talking about the most extreme result here

for Seblanka in the negative, like losing first match, as Seblanka went quarter quarter

and Shiontek went title semis, or even title final, I still don't know if that would be

enough for Shiontek to supplant Seblanka, short of Shiontek beating Seblanka, and I would

have to say beating her in both of those events, to be honest.

Short of Shiontek going two and O against Seblanka, Rabakina goes two and O against Seblanka

in this sunshine swing, then they can supplant her.

One of that, no, she's staying as number one, again, barring the unthinkable during this

month of March.

Has a lot of points to defend, she's still going to be the number one again, bar, even

if she loses first round of both, actually, if she loses first round of both, and Shiontek

or Rabakina win both, she will still be the, no, she will not be the world number one

in that case, she would lose 1500 points, and if Shiontek wins both, she'd be up to,

or Rabakina wins both.

Yeah, I mean, again, I think Shiontek, Rabakina and Goff would still both have to win both

and have Seblanka lose first match of both, and even then the math is close.

I think all three would surpass Seblanka, but the math is still close.

That's how exceptional Seblanka was in 2025, that's how many points she still has

patting her resume.

Yeah, that's all I have to say on the world number one, who remains my world number

one for obvious reasons.

Two and three was tough, just because I don't think either of them had particularly exceptional

months of February, obviously, in the case of the later Rabakina, the 2026 Australian

Open Champion, played both 1000s, loses quarterfinals in Doha, three sets to Emboko, that

was after a three-set match with Chin Wen, a good straight set went over Wang Shinyu,

she then is forced to retire in Dubai in a third set, but I dropped the second set

to Antonio Ruzic, was dealing with some sort of issue that you just hope coming into

the Sunshine Swing, having had a couple of weeks to recover, she'll be okay with.

You know, again, I throw out the Ruzic match because she wasn't healthy, although you

should factor that health into these rankings as you're trying to list out your contenders.

It's why as good as Rabakina has been for six months, consecutively, since the start

of the North American Hardcore Swing, Seblanka still has to be the favorite, even though obviously

Rabakina has beaten her a couple of times, in finals, prominently, over the last couple

of months.

I do think you factor in that health piece, but again, Rabakina's number one by hold percentage

over the last 52 weeks, and she's held serve over 82 percent of the time.

You're talking about elite Serena Williams, power tennis country club territory, and that's

why, by the way, she won her second match, she gets to upgrade the house in the country club.

You know, again, there's one slam village, there's multi-slam village, then there's the

five plus club where it's like, yeah, you got to make mansions on the block.

Anyways, given that dominant trait, how dominant she's been with it, and we're still on the

hard courts where we know her movement holds up more than fine.

Do you keep her at number one versus a Niga Shfiantek, who only saw play once, Shfiantek

who again, after blitzing through a first set over Maria Sockery, loses a match, 266475,

that was just bufffuddling, and once again, how Shfiantek in these moments tries to just

rush through these moments and hit through her opponents and just double down and swing

that much harder, and be that much more aggressive in those moments, and not double down on

the inherent physicality she brings, play a little higher, play a little heavier, give

herself a little more margin, force them to come up with the spectacular.

That balance developing that gear once again, like it just feels like again, she has sacrificed

that in pursuit of the sixth love, sixth one wins, where she just dominates lesser competition.

And to some extent, obviously having those weapons against the Sabelanka are we're

about to be able to go shot for shot and pulverize with them, but I don't think she lacked

that gear before, and I think she picked her spots better in the past, obviously the

level of competition has risen relative to where things were when she was that dominant

in 2022, Clay Court season of 2024.

Look, I mean, look, historically again, for each of these players, you look for Ega Shfiantek,

obviously Indian Wells, has been a place where she has found plenty of success over the years,

you look for Shfiantek, even last season, semi-finals of the event, of course she wins

the title 2022, 2024 in the slow, high-bouncing nature of the surface, as it plays Clayask,

could anything be better for the loopy ground strokes and angles, Ega Shfiantek wants

to work you around the court with her inherent physicality, she can double down a pond.

Indian Wells has always been great for Ega Shfiantek.

It's just worth noting again, outside of Wimbledon, it's been a while since we've seen Ega

Shfiantek win a big one.

You know, again, obviously she wins that Wimbledon title.

We also, one soul, like, found more success wins, well, so that's not true because she

did win since then.

I forgot about this since then, because again, you had all the chaos in the top half of

the draw and then you have Shfiantek, 5 and 3 over a block in the semi, is 5 and 4 over

a penalty in the final.

So that's actually not true.

She has won a big one recently outside of Wimbledon, correction, my apologies.

I mean, she made semi-finals of this event last year, it just feels like the floor for

Ega Shfiantek, given the conditions in Indian Wells, high.

But I want to see her go win this in Indian Wells field.

Like it just, again, Sabelink gets knocked out early, no, I'm not putting any asterisk

on that Cincinnati title, it was plenty impressive.

She just doesn't, the real thing is Shfiantek doesn't really have a signature victory in

2026.

That's a fact.

I know she made quarters, Australia, the talent sky win is very good, because Anna

Kalen's guy is playing great ball this year, it's not a signature victory.

Wins over Chen, Kasekina, Bojkova, like no, obviously the losses are to Rabakina, Gough,

Benchich, Sockery, two of those four losses in three sets.

There's not a signature victory yet on the Ega Shfiantek resume.

There certainly are for Elena Rabakina.

By the way, you look for these two, I mentioned the history there for Shfiantek in Indian Wells

for what it's worth her history at Miami.

She wins that event, of course, back in 2022, doesn't play it in 23, round of 16, 24,

quarters last season, a prominent loss, of course, to Iyala.

You look for Elena Rabakina, historically, at each of these events for her at Indian Wells,

Rabakina, round of 16 last season, where of course she gets knocked out by Andriva, but

wins the title at this event in 2023, prominently beats Mughva, Shfiantek, Sabalanka, over the

course of championship weekend.

Look for her at Miami, finals of this event, 2023, finals of the event in 2024.

Both are well-positioned for big sunshine swings.

Who's two, who's three?

It's hard courts.

And just given how good she's been for five months consecutively, the plethora of signature

victories, I ultimately have to go with Rabakina at my number two spot, Ega Shfiantek,

at that number three spot.

But again, each of them, like you asked for the standards, I think for all three of Rabakina,

Shfiantek, Sabalanka, you go in with the standard of, hey, I'm here to win this event.

And certainly go into the sunshine things swing thinking, I'm going to win one of the two.

And I love that there are three players who it's just unequivocally, that's the standard

four.

Like again, I know there are going to be other players on this list, certainly given

what golf, Pagula, Nisimova have all accomplished.

Well, Mira and Dreeva is the fucking Indian Wells defending champion.

Victoria and Boko has already won a 1000 in Canada.

Mukva literally just won a 1000 over the course of the play in Middle East.

Benchitch is getting better.

Like again, I'm not, I'm not trying to indict the rest of the field.

But the standard for these three women, Sabalanka, Rabakina and Shfiantek is play world

number one tennis and win the biggest titles accordingly.

That's just the standard.

What we've come to expect of them, and there are multiple players that we've come to

expect that of, speaks to how healthy the quality of this field is as we get ready for

the Sunshine Swing.

We're back on a get to the edge because again, she has just been better, against better

opponents of late.

You look again for these two over the last 52 weeks, Shfiantek, 16 and 13 against top

20 opponents.

We're back enough 15 and eight, Shfiantek, 69 against top 10 opponents, Rabakina, 13

and four.

Advantage, Rabakina, we're on the hard court still.

I'd favor Ega Shfiantek at Indian Wells.

I'd favor Rabakina at Miami.

Can either of them steal one of those events from her nerina, Sabalanka, who obviously

almost, she doesn't sleepwalk her way to finals, but she is in the finals each and every

time.

They're the top two contenders, two, two knock off Sabalanka.

Those are my tier one contenders as we get ready for the start of this Sunshine Swing.

And again, despite everything we saw in February, I don't think holding firm in that

position is going to be a surprise to anyone.

How we organize the Americans, that gets a little bit more exciting.

And I'm going to double down on a take that I swear I have alluded to multiple times

on this show for those who want to hold me accountable to such things.

I think we're in the Jessica Pagula window.

That's why it sucks so thoroughly for Pagula that we're moving to the surface where she

has had the least prominent high level success in the clay because Jessica Pagula is playing

fucking ball right now.

Pagula, who of course starts her season, semi-finals Brisbane, tough loss to Kostya Kupakostya

was elite that week.

Australian open beats keys, Anisimova, consecutive straight set wins before getting knocked

out on a fun straight setter with Rabakana, then goes to Dubai, BTOvich, Tossin, Anisimova

and Svitalina on her way to that Dubai title.

Obviously, that's on the back of last year beating golf to get through to those two or

final semi-finals, making the final in Wuhan finally getting that win over Arena

Sabelanka after Sabelanka had gotten her New York in all the different times throughout

the course of their careers.

We're in the Jessica Pagula window.

Pagula, by the way, right now, one of six players during top 15 in both hold and break

percentage.

I mentioned earlier, Sabelanka, Shvianta Kendriva, top 10, over the last 52 weeks, Pagula

joined by Svitalina and Alexander Trova, surprisingly still, in that top 15 club.

Jessica Pagula has racked up the signature victories again to have beaten Anisimova twice,

to have beaten Australia keys, to have beaten Svitalina and Eva Yovich, who's been one of

the 20 best hardcore players in the world.

We're talking about six signature victories before Jessica Pagula already to start this.

He's in a Pagula who, again, over the last 52 weeks, nine and eight against top 10 competition.

That's fifth on the WTA tour during that stretch.

Trova's only Sabelanka, Rabakana, Anisimova and golf.

She's 14 and nine against top 20 opponents.

Again, those 14 wins, trailing only, Sabelanka, Shvianta Kendriva, Rabakana.

We're in the Jessica Pagula window.

She's serving well enough.

She understands the tactics.

She understands the rhythm of playing these elite opponents because God knows she's played

these matches now a significant enough sample size 30, 40 of these matches, certainly

north of 10 of them in championship weekends of big events.

She made the finals of Miami last year.

So we know what Jessica Pagula can do in the sunshine swing.

Again, with how good those top three are, can the expectation for anyone else in the field

legitimately be go in the tournament?

I think things are a little too slow for Pagula at Indian Wells.

You look for Jessica Pagula historically at Indian Wells because I do think, again, that

matters as you're trying to project in a field where the margins are this thin.

Round of 16 loss last year to Spitalina.

She's never made it past the quarters and she's only made the quarters once that was

back in 2021.

That's never been the spot again for for Jessica Pagula now.

She finds Indian Wells success, boasts very well perhaps for what could be a clay court

season where again, she capitalizes on this form.

She's fucking awesome in Miami.

You look for her historically.

Round of 16, 2021, she was securing solidifying her top spot at the top of the game.

Class 22, semis 23, quarters 24, finals 25.

Her last three of her last four losses in Miami, 25, Savalanka, 23, Rabakana, 22, Shfiant

Tech.

Come on now.

You have to be in the top tier to beat her in Miami.

So she's the one you turn to.

Who else could knock someone out of the apple card?

Obviously coming off of 1,000 level title in the month of February.

It's not a hot take.

I have Jessica Pagula up the floor in my personal rankings.

I have her catapulted ahead of an Esamoah who's been sound, not exceptional.

It's not what we saw from her to end last season.

But she has certainly been one of the eight best players in the world, Australia, open quarter

finals, semifinals in February, you know, Coco Goss, Coco Goss.

Coco Goss will look like the best player in the world and the 75th best player in the world,

all within the course of one match, serving ups and downs for her.

Again, there are holes in the Coco Goss game and just a little still uncertainty for

Amanda and Esamoah.

It has quite been as sharp.

The serve has been a little off to start an Esamoah, but it's been fine for Amanda

and Esamo to start the year.

Jessica Pagula of those three is the one who you feel like is at her best right now.

He's playing her best ball to start this 2026 season.

Not that the others have had the floor fallout from underneath them, but it's that Pagula

is at her best right now.

She's up to four on my list.

She would be at the top of tier number two, right below those list of the three tier one

contenders who just have that benefit of the doubt in my mind.

Pagula has as close as you can have to tier one benefit of the doubt.

I'm not saying she's going to go win Miami.

If she makes a quarters at Indian Wells, by the way, that's a win.

Just remember, with that sort of surface, I'm expecting at least final four from her

at Miami.

I think it'll be a disappointment if it's anything other than that.

I think that's the standard she should hold for herself.

The window is open.

She's playing that well.

She's fourth on my list.

Boy, who to go with at that number five spot was tricky.

You look for an Esamoah.

Obviously, the weird loss.

She was forced to retire down four one in the third.

Plistic of a Doha then follows that up with obviously the two six seven five seven six

went over and Dereva her best of the season.

Three of her four losses this year, Costuch and Brisbane counts as a top ten loss in my

mind.

And then two losses to Pagula, Australia, Dubai, respectively.

Obviously, the round to the run to the quarterfinals in Australia, she had to beat any top

25 players, but she also didn't drop a set on her way to that quarter, either.

In the case for Coco Gough, also a quarterfinalist in Australia, got a signature victory over

Mojava, although lost in a more comprehensive fashion that one and two match against Svitalina.

Coco Gough over the last 52 weeks, by the way, Anisimova, top 20 club over the last 52 weeks

20th, by hold and break percentage.

I think it's 16th and 19th respectively, the splits, one of seven players.

You can say that about already mentioned the first six.

Coco Gough over the last 52 weeks, number one, by break percentage, breaking serve more

than any other player, on to her, 40th amongst top 50 players, 40th, by hold percentage.

The reason for that, obviously, you look for this year, the double-fault percentage, 11.2

percent.

That's a new career high.

Second serve win percentage, accordingly, down to 39.7, that's a career low.

She's still returning serve at an elite caliber, has to, to stay competitive in these matches

and the totality of things Coco Gough can do, the mechanism she has to protect her forehand

and unimpeachable backhand movement forward that gets more decisive and definitive with

every passing season.

Again, Pagula, for me, was pretty clearly, okay, she's playing better than either Gough

or Nisimova right now.

It was this, this Nisimova Gough split that got a little trickier because certainly by

pedigree, Coco Gough deserves the benefit of the doubt, Coco Gough's highs have obviously

been higher, two major titles.

What she did during the Clay Courts last year was maybe even better still than how Nisimova

ended her season, although again, Nisimova would be both Sebelink and Shriantek at the

major's, Gough did beat Sebelink if it won a major final.

Ron Hard Courts, I mean, Indian well slow high bouncing clay like conditions, you feel

like that's perfect for Coco Gough at the same time, given all the success we're back

and has had having the extra time and having the firepower that she has with that extra

time, she can hit through any court and now you're giving her extra time to get to the

ball.

Same circumstances apply for Amanda and Nisimova.

Gough this year, the win over move of three sets, Australia and open round of 16, is that

better than Nisimova's three set win over Andrew and the Dubai quarters?

They're certainly comparable.

Wins over Stearns, Wong Shin Yu, those are the three best wins for Nisimova Gough's three

best wins, Callins Sky, move of honestly, Callins Sky wins pretty good, Eala win, not

too shabby.

It's very comparable.

My instinct, my gut, if they were to play, just given the service issues, given there's

a clear line to attack, much more so with Gough than there is Nisimova, I'd pick Nisimova,

so I'm going to have her five, I'm going to have Coco Gough as my six.

But again, all those Americans are all tightly tied together within a single tier for me.

Expectations, I mean the expectations, I just want to see Coco Gough lose a match that

has, I mean, first of all, I don't mean lose a match, I don't want to see her lose a

match, cut that clip.

There's the aggregate.

Alex Grosskin says he wants to see Coco Gough lose a match.

No, I would like to see her lose a match and have it be because, it wasn't because of

her server forehand, where it's just like, oh, like, zap a leg, it just served lights out,

and there was nothing Gough could do, like, in an era, it was an exceptional match in

Sabelankin, just a little more juice down the line, and she just takes it six, three.

Like, I don't want it to be, well, Coco Gough hit 13 or 17 double faults, and her forehand

was sitting short and out of sorts, like, I just don't want to see that sort of loss.

For Nisimova, again, it's the health that's her playing through the calendar, it's having

her as a part of this, all of it still feels like gravy, so there's really nothing that

could happen to Nisimova that could lower the expectations.

By the way, I skipped that for the last couple of players.

For her Bacchina, no first run exits were passed that for Shiontech, stop hitting yourself

out of matches.

Like, that's the thing you want to see, at least, if there's another third round exit

where she makes 70 unforced errors, again, that that loss, that type of loss keeps persisting,

that's where you start to get a little bit panicked.

For Pagula, nothing, like, I really, Pagula is in that Sabelankin tier, where it's there,

the demon tier almost works, like, this is the, the Jessica Pagula has found her ceiling,

and yet she still keeps, like, crawling a little bit higher all the time.

Again, for Nisimova to stay healthy, that's where I want to see, just two sound non-retirement

results.

For Coco Gough, lose a match without it being about your server forehand, like, or just

win all the matches, which, by the way, is usually what happens when those servant forehands

are firing.

But if there's a loss, have it be for something that isn't, though, keep that double-fold

percentage under 5% here this week, or this month.

And yet, you know, again, despite those struggles for Gough, I still am going to have her above

of this next tier, who would all be still within tier number two, but if you want to

sue tier two A and tier two B, but these are all still top eight level players and top

tier contenders.

I have the three Americans clustered together, and then I have these next three players clustered

together, as well.

That was really tricky to try and figure out what to do with each of them.

I ultimately win Sfidilina as my number seven on my list.

You look for Sfidilina, lost to Kalanskaya, 4 and 3, and Doha, round of 16.

She bounced back, gets wins over Benchitch, Gough, obviously, the three set within the

semis.

And after losing that tie break, 13-11, 15-13 as she did, to come back and win that third

set, 6-4 and the third talk about Moxie, obviously, it was her 6-7.

The second win over Gough on the season, you look for an Alina Sfidilina who, 15-3 overall

on the year, that's the most wins on the ATP tour.

ATP, I've done that again, that's the most wins on the WTA tour.

15-3, most wins on the WTA tour this year, and she has three top 10 victories, three top

10 amongst that group.

Like, it's not as though she's played a cupcake schedule, sure.

Auckland was the softer of the week one events.

She's still the beat, Yobich.

She's still the beat, a very much informed Wong Shin-U, a very much informed now 250 champion

this year in Katie Bolter.

Three good wins that opening week.

Australia, obviously, she beats a Bukshah, who just cracked the top 35 and won a 500, even

in a soft draw.

Draw, beats a Schneider, who I thought played really well opening month, beats Andriva,

beats Gough.

Now another win over Gough, a win over Benchitch, who looked like the third best player in the

world.

So the season in United Cup, there are serious wins.

Serious wins.

What I just list there, eight serious wins for Alina Svitalina, amongst her 15 already

this season, proofs in the fucking put it.

Again, another one of those players, one of the six top 15 both hold and break percentage.

It's the second straight year.

She started off this hot, like you saw it last year, where again, she was on the path.

He's had to beat her in Australia, and Dreeva had to beat her at Indie and Wells.

She then wins Rowan and quarterfinals, Rowlan Garros.

I know things fell off, back half of last year.

But semis in Australia to start this season.

Again, she's holding Serva career high, 73.8% of the time, that's not true, it was 74.2

the career high in 2018.

But she's making over 60% again, it's all just firing.

Everything is firing for Alina Svitalina so far this season, she's fit.

It just feels like she's just far more proactive in playing bigger from the baseline, and she's

more consistent with that pace as she's just more comfortable playing at that speed.

She's nine by ranking, nine by elo rating.

What are the expectations for Svitalina capitalized on this form?

Go beat a Pagula, beat an Anisimova, you've beaten Cocoa Golf twice now.

Can you do it again to get to an Indie and Wells semi-final?

Again, you've opened up the draw to where you're only going to have to get through one

of those players to get through a final four now.

She's playing well enough.

I want to see at least one final four, like certainly coming off of that Dubai final

Australian open semi.

Go make a final four at either Indie and Wells or Miami.

Now, of course, again, a lot of it's going to be draw-dependent, who ends up where?

Are you in the Saba-Lanka quarter?

Are you in the Rybaka quarter?

Are you in the Shvion Tech quarter?

Life gets more difficult in those scenarios.

If you're in that fourth quarter, any of the four players I've listed, honestly, I think

any of the six players I'm about to mention here.

Pagula, Anisimova, Gaw, Svitalina.

If you are not in one of those top three players, quarters, you expect to get a final four

spot.

If that's the circumstance and you don't, I think that's what you qualify as a disappointment

for each of those players coming out of this.

I would say the same thing for the player who, despite losing to the number nine player

on my list, still ends up at number eight.

I'm going to go Andriva over in Boko still, and I know again, by results this year, that

feels a little puzzling, although for what it's worth, again, Miran and Dreeva, quarter

final's Brisbane, loses to Kostya, beats Noscuba, wins Adelaide, beats Schneider, and

Emboko, round of 16 Australia, loses to Svitalina, seven-six in the third loss to Emboko

and Goa, seven-six in the third loss to Anisimova and Dubai.

Again, she beat Emboko three and one in the Adelaide final.

That's why you can't overreact to the book.

Didn't Emboko just beat Andriva this month?

Yes.

About one with seven-six in the third, the other was two in one, while three in one, while

I spoke to you in the moment, it speaks to me on how fast and on the fly, Victoria and

Emboko can make these adjustments, just how she gets better and better with every data

point she seemingly picks up.

I'm just not selling a single piece of Miran andriva stock.

None at all, because she's getting more confident, hitting her forehand cross with better

depth, so it's not sitting short in the angle and the action on the ball could be that

much more effective.

Again, she has her same defense mechanism, play that forehand high and heavy.

I like her forehand slice as a defensive mechanism.

I don't think it sits nearly as much as you think.

Her serve is absolutely a weapon.

She gets better as a mover.

I feel like each and every year as well.

Again, she's lost two, seven-six in the third match, a loss to number seven, Spitalina

and lost to Week 1, Kostya, which will just be one of the phenomenums.

I'm sure I'll linger on all season long until we get the best version of March of Kostya

for multiple weeks consecutively.

Yeah, I just, I know she lost to Emboko.

I know she lost to Anisimova.

It's Sitalina.

Those are three top ten losses.

Tenth by Elo Rating feels too low.

Again, she's top ten by both holding break percentage.

Yes, the forehand is a vulnerability for her against the lead competition.

But it's a vulnerability, not a liability.

I'm still all in.

I'm the ability of Mira Andriva.

Eighth on my list.

She's won this event before, and I don't think she will defend her title.

I don't think she will win either of these sunshine swing events.

Quarter finals are the standard for Mira Andriva.

Get to the final eight.

Get yourself that bite at the apple against the lead competition.

I mentioned those records against top 20 opponents over the last 52 weeks, Andriva,

seven and six.

A lot of those matches are about to come off of her resume from last year's Indian

welds.

She's four and three against top 10 opponents.

But again, a lot of that was Indian weld success last season.

Has to step up the game against the lead competition.

No doubt about it.

Big stretch coming up for Andriva to do that.

Get back on the clayware.

Of course, she can be dominant.

I'm going to have her at eight.

Obviously, Victoria Emboko is going no lower than nine.

And that it just feels routine like there's just, there's no case for anyone else to be

above Victoria Emboko at this point at that number nine spot.

Again, a Victoria Emboko who's 13 and four to start her season.

She ranks top 25 by both holding break percentage.

Top 20 is the delineation right now because other than Alexandra of a sneaking in against

Saba Lancashfiantek and Dreeva Pagula's Fidelina, Anisimova, Alexandra, that's a nice list

to find yourself on.

Top 25 club, seven names, Vandrosova, Emboko, Chinwen, Kostya, Mertens, Kerstea, which makes

sense if you've been following closely.

And Blasson, a little more suspect that top 25 club right now.

But Victoria Emboko, look at her results this year, United Cup, well, they're all United

Cup.

Adelaide, Finals, Beats, Keys, Kalinskaya, knocked out by Andriva.

Australian Open, Round of 16, Beats, McNally, Tossin, knocked out by Saba Lancashfiantek.

Excuse me, Adelaide, knocked out by Andriva.

Australian Open, knocked out by Saba Lancashfiantek.

Doha, Beats, Andriva, Rabakina, Ostapenko, and then gets knocked out four and five in

the final by Carolina Mouheba.

She just picked up a win over Rabakina.

She just picked up a win over Meran and Dreeva.

Again, someone whose name, a casual fan could not have picked out prior to her run in

Canada.

Obviously, us hardcore fans knew about all the ITF success.

But those casual fans who are, she's still so new, she's four and five against top ten

competition during this stretch, maybe even more impressively, six and ten against top

20 competition.

But again, we're talking top 15 numbers by total wins for someone who's doing it in half

the sample size of the rest of the field.

And how much better it's already gotten here in 2026 as she gets more and more data points

against those elite players and elite competition.

I mean, Victoria and Boca is just the real deal.

She's not going anywhere.

Again, that much more comfortable feels like generating pace consistently from the baseline.

The first serve is continuing to turn into a plus sort of projected weapon for her moving

forward.

I mean, the movement, elite, comfortable volley, or backhand cross, she's just not losing

those exchanges.

Even if it is a little bit flatter, but it's the drive, it's the depth, she could play

high and have it by herself time.

And it's the, again, we are now having Victoria and Boca versus mirror injury of conversations.

Really real irresponsible people are doing a Boca injury of off-conversations, those

21 and under crew.

That's the sort of tier Victoria and Boca has played herself into to where it's like,

yeah, of course she'll be competing for her two or final spot this season.

The 19 year old just has all the skills and the replicable match after match, after match.

It's a testament to who she is as a competitor, who she is as a talent.

She is the clear cut number nine on the list.

Honestly, I think we have a pretty clear cut number 10 as well.

By the way, the standard for Boca during, it's the same standard as Pagula, Nismovogoff,

et cetera.

If you are in a non-Sabalank or Bakunashvian tech quarter, your expectation is to make

the semi-final of the tournament via that draw.

I think it's that simple for every player, fourth term nine, that's the standard they

should hold themselves to.

Again, for 10, who are you going to make a case for other than Carolina Mughva?

That's why I think it gets pretty boring.

I keep saying Anna Kalinskaya has played really well.

By the way, she's 8 and 11 first top 20 opponents over the last 52 weeks, 4 and 7 against

the top 10 that's better than the majority of the field.

Her losses this year are Pagula, Emboko, Shvian tech, Mughva and Goth.

Unless you're an elite player, you're just not beating Anna Kalinskaya right now.

She's got Wins over Valentova, Buzas Maniera, oh, by the way, Beats Fidelina, Indoha.

Good one over Navarro, I suppose there as well.

But it's not Anna Kalinskaya.

It's not Zheng Chenwen, hasn't played enough, but the levels get closer.

I'm ready to buy back in.

Madison Keys, cup of coffee, still in the conversation.

It just depends on what event we're playing and we're playing a stretch that I know she

cares deeply about.

Benchich, interesting, no, tossing, less interesting, but had a pretty good month, but no, it's

just got to be Carolina Mughva.

Carolina Mughva, who of course picked up the biggest title of her career by winning the

title Indoha.

It was her first title since Soul back in 2019, speaks to all the injuries she's dealt

with, that she hadn't won that second title in that amount of, in that stretch of time.

Carolina Mughva now, since the making that US Open Quarter Final, 22 and 7 overall.

Like, again, US Open Quarters, Brisbane Semis, Tokyo Quarters, Beijing, round of 16.

Now Doha title, where look, the draw certainly opened up for her with all the chaos, all the

seeds pulling out.

Gets a good win over a Callinskaya, who I think has certainly been one of the 20 best players

in the world.

Gets a win over an Emboko, who I have as the ninth best player in the world right now.

Good win round one over a good Jacqueline Kristion.

I mean, again, who of the losses for her been this year?

Sabelanka and Goth.

That's it, and the Goth loss was three sets.

She's got a win over top 10 player in Emboko.

She wins a 1,000 level event, 22 and 7.

It's kind of been this level for her again.

The last loss is Goth, Sabelanka, Benchich, Schneider, the weird lost Magdalene of Frickian

Wuhan, but you have to retire from that match.

Anisimova, Osaka.

It's a pretty good list.

Sp eaten, Vandrosava twice, Cost joke twice, Kerstea, Rybachana, of course, in Brisbane,

Callinskaya here in Doha.

I just think it's a combination of how she's playing, the pedigree, the health.

I mean, again, the key for care in the middle of just stay healthy these next two weeks,

please.

No matches ending in retirements.

I think she's earned the benefit of the doubt relative to the rest of the field where

I'd have her at that number 10 spot.

And that's my pretty sunshine swing WTA top 10, and I feel pretty certain about the top

10.

I don't know what the case would be for any other player at the number 10 spot, like,

you know, again, looking through the list.

Yovic is fun.

No.

Noskva hasn't done enough.

Benchich, maybe, he's maybe, I'd listen, but like, no, yeah, there's really no one else

you can turn to.

Sarah Baylich, you want to make the case?

I'll listen.

Why not?

I'll listen to any case.

But I think that's a pretty clear cut top 10, as we get ready for this sunshine swing.

And I do think it's Sabelanka, Rybachana, Shiontech.

I still have Shiontech in that tier.

I get if others don't, but I do.

Then I think the tier two is extensive.

Pagula, Nisimov, Agaf, Sitalina, and Dribaboko would all be players who, again, if I'm

in a non top three quarter, I'm expecting to get to the semis.

Bhuvava isn't in that tier.

She hasn't been that good during the stretch.

Again, the Doha draw data open up for her, but she's the leader of the rest of the pack.

The rest of the pack, and I still thoroughly enjoy eyeing to me really high level sunshine

swing.

I think we're going to get some three set thrillers.

I'm a fan of the conditions in Indian Wells.

I also love how different they are between Indian Wells and Miami.

Let's roll up all of that.

Let's play some tennis looking forward to the sunshine swing, where, of course, we will

provide daily coverage of all the action for you here on this mini break podcast feed.

Of course, speaking about this mini break podcast feed coming up later today, I'll do

my pre-sunshine swing ATP top 10 of back tomorrow, who was stock up, stock down, coming

out of the month of February, as we get ready for the start of March.

Some before you know it, Indian Wells and sunshine swing play will be upon us.

Make sure you're subscribed to this mini break podcast feed so you don't miss out on our

coverage of any of the exciting action moving forward.

By the way, if you've missed out on anything from the 2026 college tennis season, great

shot podcast feed is for you.

We're going to have a lot of good interviews coming up on the crack interviews podcast

feed, particularly given my impending trip to the Phoenix for the 175K event in about a

week and a half.

By the way, a lot of content available on the crack records YouTube channel.

So make sure you're subscribed to everything, a shout out, of course, as always, to the

tireless efforts of our super producer Daniel West, who makes everything on your screen

possible.

Of course, a shout out and thank you as well for the support we get from our friends at

the lowest spring school to learn more about why they keep getting to rank the ones

you got.

Thank you so much for joining us, and we'll see you in the next one, good luck to you

as well.

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