Paris (AFP)

Spain's Paula Badosa, who won the Indian Wells tournament, and Tunisian Ons Jabeur, semi-finalist and the first player from an Arab country to make the Top 10 in the world hierarchy, took a leap forward in the WTA rankings released on Monday.

With her gain of six places, Ons Jabeur, 27, eliminated in the semi-finals in California by the future winner Paula Badosa, 23, is now in 8th place in the world.

The best place previously occupied by a player from an Arab country, men and women alike, was the 14th, that of Jabeur before Indian Wells, and that of the Moroccan Younes El Aynaoui in 2003 and 2004.

Victorious in the final in California against the Belarusian Victoria Azarenka, the Spaniard Paula Badosa - who started the year in 70th place - for her part jumped 14 places and entered the Top 20, 13th in the world .

Azarenka, former world No. 1, has gained six places and is now in 26th position in the standings.

The leading trio did not change, and the Australian Ashleigh Barty remains world No. 1, ahead of the Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka and the Czech Karolina Pliskova.

The only one present in California among these three players, Pliskova was eliminated in the third round.

Behind them, note the return to the Top 10, in 10th place, of the Japanese Osaka (+2 places), who benefits in particular, without having taken part in Indian Wells, from the fall of the Polish Iga Swiatek (11th in the world, -7 places), seeded N.2 in California, but eliminated in the round of 16.

WTA ranking of the top 10 tennis players as of October 18 AFP

As for the French players, Alizé Cornet, 66th, down two places, replaced as N.1 tricolor Caroline Garcia, 73rd, who lost 14 positions.

WTA ranking published on Monday:

1. Ashleigh Barty (AUS) 9077 pts

2. Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) 7115

3. Karolina Pliskova (CZE) 5320

4. Barbora Krejcikova (CZE) 4748 (+1)

5. Garbine Muguruza (ESP) 4425 (+1)

6. Elina Svitolina (UKR) 4096 (+1)

7. Maria Sakkari (GRE) 4005 (+2)

8. Ons Jabeur (TUN) 3500 (+6)

9. Belinda Bencic (SUI) 3365 (+1)

10. Naomi Osaka (JPN) 3326 (+2)

11. Iga Swiatek (POL) 3306 (-7)

12. Angelique Kerber (GER) 3265 (+3)

13. Paula Badosa (ESP) 3248 (+14)

14. Sofia Kenin (USA) 3130 (-6)

15. Petra Kvitova (CZE) 3035 (-4)

16. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) 2986 (-3)

17. Elena Rybakina (KAZ) 2883 (-1)

18. Elise Mertens (BEL) 2835

19. Simona Halep (ROM) 2807 (-2)

20. Anett Kontaveit (EST) 2766

...

66. Alizé Cornet (FRA) 1000 (-2)

73. Caroline Garcia (FRA) 945 (-14)

75. Clara Burel (FRA) 902 (+5)

91. Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) 825 (-24)

92. Océane Dodin (FRA) 825 (-1)

98. Fiona Ferro (FRA) 775 (-15)

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