Alex Macpherson

London

Journalist at Freelance

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Articles

Rankings Watch: Sierra rides win streak to new career high

1 week ago | wtatennis.com | Alex Macpherson

With no tour-level or WTA 125 events on the Hologic WTA Tour calendar last week, this week's edition of the PIF WTA Rankings is a relatively quiet one with no movement inside the Top 50. A number of strong performances at ITF level could presage several future breakthroughs. The two biggest tournaments last week were won by Anastasia Zakharova (the Zaragoza ITF W100) and Solana Sierra (the Bellinzona ITF W75).
'I hope the Latvian police aren't watching!': Ostapenko on need for speed

1 week ago | wtatennis.com | Alex Macpherson

Jelena Ostapenko's love of power, pace and all things fast is the hallmark of the Latvian's game style -- but in Stuttgart on Tuesday, she revealed that this isn't confined to the court. Stuttgart: Draws | Scores | Order of playAfter advancing when Dayana Yastremska was forced to retire due to illness trailing 6-3, 3-0, Ostapenko was asked about her fearless character in the on-court interview.
Rankings Watch: Pegula becomes top-ranked American; Kenin climbs 10 spots

3 weeks ago | wtatennis.com | Alex Macpherson

The Hologic WTA Tour clay season opened last week with two of the longest-running events on the calendar. The Credit One Charleston Open has been staged since 1973, and the Copa Colsanitas Zurich in Bogota since 1998. For the second straight year, both tournaments ended with home champions. Jessica Pegula, a semifinalist in Charleston the past two seasons, claimed her eighth career title -- and her first on clay -- as the top seed. The win means Pegula has now won titles on hard, grass and clay.
Rankings Watch: Eala makes Top 100 history, Raducanu returns to Top 50

3 weeks ago | wtatennis.com | Alex Macpherson

The latest edition of the PIF WTA Rankings features a mix of breakthroughs and resurgences following the Miami Open -- the fourth WTA 1000 event of 2025 -- along with results from two busy weeks of WTA 125 and ITF action. Miami champion Aryna Sabalenka and runner-up Jessica Pegula both remain at No. 1 and No. 4, respectively. But the biggest move in the Top 200 comes from the tournament's breakout star, Alexandra Eala.
Sabalenka vs. Pegula: What you need to know about the Miami Open final

1 month ago | wtatennis.com | Alex Macpherson

On Saturday, No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka will face No. 4 Jessica Pegula in the Miami Open final, the fourth WTA 1000 event of the 2025 season. Miami: Draws | Scores | Order of play This marks the first Miami Open final between Top 5 players since Serena Williams defeated Li Na in 2014 -- and the winner will become the first player ranked inside the Top 10 to capture a WTA 1000 title or higher this season.
Rankings Watch: Andreeva continues to rise, Bencic returns to Top 50

1 month ago | wtatennis.com | Alex Macpherson

At the start of 2025, Mirra Andreeva's goal for the season was to reach the Top 10 in the PIF WTA Rankings. The 17-year-old accomplished that within the first two months after winning Dubai, her first WTA 1000 title, so she recalibrated with a new target: the Top 5. Less than a month later, she's only one place off. Andreeva backed up Dubai with a second straight WTA 1000 trophy, in Indian Wells last week, extending her winning streak to 12 matches and counting.
Rankings Watch: Arango and Joint surge into Top 100 after breakthrough runs

1 month ago | wtatennis.com | Alex Macpherson

The Hologic WTA Tour moved back to North American hard courts last week, with a WTA 500 in Merida and a 250-level event in Austin taking place ahead of this month's Sunshine Double. Both events were won by American top seeds. Emma Navarro claimed her second career title and first at WTA 500 level, in Merida. In this week's edition of the PIF WTA Rankings, she moves back up two places to equal her career high of No. 8.
Rankings Watch: Mirra Andreeva becomes youngest Top 10 player since 2007

2 months ago | wtatennis.com | Alex Macpherson

Mirra Andreeva's title run at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships last week came with a string of "youngest-since" records. The 17-year-old’s second Hologic WTA Tour title made her the youngest WTA 1000 champion since the format debuted in 2009. With wins over Marketa Vondrousova, Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina, she also became the youngest player to defeat multiple Grand Slam winners at a single event since Maria Sharapova at the 2004 WTA Finals in Los Angeles.
Rankings Watch: Anisimova makes Top 20 debut, Ostapenko back in Top 30

2 months ago | wtatennis.com | Alex Macpherson

Last week saw the Hologic WTA Tour's season of WTA 1000 tournaments kick off with the Qatar TotalEnergies Open. A number of early upsets paved the way to the fourth ever WTA 1000 final between two unseeded players -- though neither champion Amanda Anisimova nor runner-up Jelena Ostapenko are exactly unknown quantities. Anisimova's big-stage breakthrough came at the age of just 17, when the American made the 2019 Roland Garros semifinals.
Rankings Watch: Swiss pair Bencic, Teichmann back among Top 100

2 months ago | wtatennis.com | Alex Macpherson

Comebacks and fresh faces stood out last week on the Hologic WTA Tour across the Abu Dhabi WTA 500, Cluj-Napoca WTA 250 and Mumbai WTA 125. Belinda Bencic delivered a remarkable title run in Abu Dhabi. Only 10 months after giving birth to her daughter, Bella, the former World No. 4 returned to familiar territory in Abu Dhabi, where she had last won a trophy in 2023.