Aryna Sabalenka left New York with the US Open title in her hands. So far, she has had a stellar season, winning four titles already. Yes, she did miss the chances of clinching the major titles at AO and the French Open by a whisker but after finally tasting success at the US Open, she said, “This one felt like I had to overcome a lot of things to get this one. The hard work we put in, like, I deserved to have a Grand Slam title this season.” With this win, she has now managed to create a gap of 3,292 points with the number 2, Iga Swiatek. There still remains a but.

As the champagne settles, another leaderboard tells a different story. In the latest Universal Tennis Rating (UTR) update—an alternative ranking system used to measure player performance—Sabalenka finds herself overtaken by Coco Gauff, despite her Grand Slam triumph. Her young rival continues to redefine consistency in women’s tennis. Currently ranked third in the world, Gauff has a 6-5 record against the world number one.

If we draw a comparison between the two by the numbers, Gauff has a win-loss record of 38-13, while it’s 56-10 for Aryna Sabalenka. Both these players have won one major title each this season. Sabalenka and Gauff have quietly become the WTA’s most compelling duel.

While the Belarusian’s brute power and fearless aggression have earned her four major titles, Gauff’s all-court athleticism and steady rise have made her a constant shadow. And in the UTR rankings, it’s Gauff who now steps into the spotlight.

How does Universal Tennis Rating work?

The UTR Rating is one of the world’s most accurate tennis rating systems. All players, regardless of age, gender, geography, or skill level, are rated on the same 1.00-16.50 point global scale based on daily match results. Unlike the WTA Rankings (52-week points tally), which are based on tournament points, UTR focuses on evaluating a player’s consistency and current form.

The 16-point scale analyzes the last 30 matches played over the past 12 months. It considers match competitiveness rather than just results, placing greater emphasis on victories against stronger opponents.

Here in this case, Coco Gauff’s 6(5)-7, 6-2, 6-4 victory against Aryna Sabalenka in the 2025 French Open final could be one of the main factors of her securing a higher spot than the Belarusian star.

Talking about the UTR Rating, Novak Djokovic once said, “The UTR Rating is the best way to measure yourself against all other players regardless of their age or level.” While another tennis legend, Martina Navratilova, claims, “Their ratings are ageless, genderless, and borderless. UTR Sports truly democratized the game of tennis.”

Now, since we have already taken a look at this alternative ranking, let’s take a glimpse of what is lining up next for these two superstars in women’s tennis.

Points to defend for Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff

The Grand Slam season is done and dusted for 2025, and now it’s time to finish the year on the highest note. With WTA 1000 events in Beijing and Wuhan lining up, alongside the WTA Finals in Riyadh and a series of WTA 500 tournaments still to come, there will be plenty of opportunities for these players to earn big ranking points. Among these, a few of them have significant points of their own to defend.

For example, Aryna Sabalenka will be looking forward to creating a further gap with Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff and finishing the year as the world number one. She has 1,615 points to defend in total, with 1,000 from her 2024 Wuhan Open triumph, 400 from the WTA Finals, and 215 from the China Open.

Whereas Coco Gauff, who had a stellar Asian swing last year, has significant ranking points (2,690) to defend across the rest of the year. She has 1,000 champion points from the China Open, 390 Wuhan SF points, and then 1,300 from last year’s WTA Finals triumph.

Although Sabalenka has a decent gap with Swiatek and Gauff, she’s well aware of the challenges from these two. During a recent interview with Jay Shetty, she admitted, “Coco, Iga—these two, I think, physically brings the biggest challenge," said Sabalenka. What are your thoughts on the performance of the Top 3 WTA players in the 2025 season so far?

Written by

Sayantan Roy

Edited by

Shrabana Sengupta