Before going any further, let’s break down how many ranking points Swiatek, Pegula and Gauff each have with last year’s Madrid points taken off (and any replacement tournaments taken off too).
Swiatek comes into this week with 7,383 points on the WTA rankings, but she’s defending 1,000 points for winning Madrid last year, so she’s working with a base total of 6,383 ranking points.
Pegula comes in with 6,208 points, and while she didn’t play Madrid last year due to a rib injury, she’s replacing 30 points from Stuttgart, so she’s working with a base total of 6,178 ranking points.
Gauff comes into this week with 6,073 points, and she’s defending 120 points for reaching the fourth round of Madrid last year, so she’s working with a base total of 5,953 ranking points.
All three players are already through to the third round of Madrid, which earns 65 points, and the points earned for the upcoming rounds are as follows: 120 for fourth round, 215 for quarterfinals, 390 for semifinals, 650 for a final and 1,000 for the title.
So, how can Pegula and Gauff pass Swiatek for No. 2?
