A MAIDEN WTA 1000 title in Dubai had Italian Jasmine Paolini and her final opponent Anna Kalinskaya high up in our WTA Tour Risers and Sliders piece this week, as we take a look at the players who took the biggest rankings jump and fall over the past seven days.

RISERS:

Jasmine Paolini (Italy)
04/01/1996 | Current Ranking: 14 (+12) | Career-High: 24

Paolini was the talk of the WTA Tour this week, securing the WTA 1000 event in Dubai gaining her 965 points having only 30 to defend from the corresponding week a year ago. It moved the 28-year-old Italian up to 14th in the world, well surpassing her previous career-high of 24th.

Anna Kalinskaya (Russia)
02/12/1998 | Current Ranking: 24 (+16) | Career-High: 38

The Russian became only the second WTA Tour player to reach a 1000 tournament from qualifying, and though Kalinskaya did fall short against Paolini, it was a huge week to have for her confidence. The now ranked 24th in the world, defeated top seed Iga Swiatek and world number three Coco Gauff.

Magdalena Frech (Poland)
15/12/1997 | Current Ranking: 42 (+11) | Career-High: 50

The Polish number two rose inside the top 50 for the first time – having been right on that precipice previously – with an 11-ranking jump to 42nd in the world. Frech made the Round of 16 coming from qualifying in Dubai, defeating the likes of seeds, Yulia Putintseva and Ekaterina Alexandrova, as well as Croatian Petra Martic, while taking a set off Elena Rybakina in the third round

McCartney Kessler (USA)
08/07/1999 | Current Ranking: 120 (+33) | Career-High: 152

Kessler is on an absolute tear in America at the moment, winning back-to-back titles over the past month. After stepping up at the USTA W75 event in Rome, Georgia where she only dropped one set, Kessler rose to WTA 125 level in the Mexican Puerto Vallarta Open. After dropping the first set, Kessler came from behind to win the title, only losing three games to Preston in the final two sets.

Taylah Preston (Australia)
27/10/2005 | Current Ranking: 153 (+39) | Career-High: 191

Like Kessler, Preston has enjoyed a ripping tournament in the Puerto Vallarta Open as she eyes off closing in on a top 100 singles place. The Australian had a couple of good wins over the in-form Maria Carle and former top 50 player Nuria Parrizas Diaz on her way to the final. After looking good early, she dropped off to lose to Kessler in three sets.

SLIDERS:

Belinda Bencic (Switzerland)
10/03/1997 | Current Ranking: 57 (-13) | Career-High: 4

Few ranking drops have more positivity than negativity around them, but for the former top five Swiss star, Bencic is currently off Tour on maternity leave. The 26-year-old is expecting her first child which she announced in November last year and has not played since September. Twelve months ago she came off a WTA 500 title in Abu Dhabi and a quarter finals appearance in Doha, hence the ranking drop.

Camila Giorgi (Italy)
30/12/1991 | Current Ranking: 105 (-33) | Career-High: 26

While Paolini cemented her spot as the top ranked Italian, the previous holder continued her slide down the WTA Tour rankings. Giorgi slipped outside the top 100 for the first time since 2013, having spent 11 years inside that bracket. The Italian has not played since a first round loss to Clara Tauson at Linz, and is 1-4 for 2024. Her rankings drop coincided with her winning the Merida Open in Mexico 12 months ago.