Sabalenka bumps Osaka to go second in WTA rankings

PARIS: Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka geared up for next week's US Open by climbing to second place in the WTA rankings published on Monday, nudging Naomi Osaka down to third.

Neither Sabalenka, 23, nor Osaka made it to the latter stages of the Cincinnati Open which was won by Ashleigh Barty who keeps a firm grip on the number one spot.

French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova reached her best WTA ranking on ninth with a good run to the quarter-finals in Cincinnati where she was stopped by Barty.

Sabalenka crushes Serrano to storm into last 16

Former world number one Angelique Kerber is back in the top 20 after her run to the semi-finals in Cincinnati when she was also overturned by an in-form Barty.

WTA rankings as of August 23

1. Ashleigh Barty (AUS) 10,185 pts

2. Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) 7,010 (+1)

3. Naomi Osaka (JPN) 6,666 (-1)

4. Karolina Pliskova (CZE) 5,530

5. Sofia Kenin (USA) 5,030

6. Elina Svitolina (UKR) 5,030

7. Bianca Andreescu (CAN) 4,537

8. Iga Swiatek (POL) 4,461

9. Barbora Krejcikova (CZE) 4,273 (+1)

10. Garbine Muguruza (ESP) 4,210 (-1)

11. Petra Kvitova (CZE) 4,170

12. Belinda Bencic (SUI) 4,170

13. Simona Halep (ROM) 3,881 (+1)

14. Jennifer Brady (USA) 3,489 (+2)

15. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) 3,420 (+2)

16. Elise Mertens (BEL) 3,330 (-1)

17. Angelique Kerber (GER) 3,245 (+5)

18. Maria Sakkari (GRE) 3,210

19. Victoria Azarenka (BLR) 3,160 (-6)

20. Elena Rybakina (KAZ) 3,083 (-1)