The WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz is approaching the final third of the 2026 season, and the Race to the WTA Finals at Indian Wells Tennis Garden is in full swing.
There’s still plenty of tennis action to go with the season’s final Grand Slam, four WTA 1000 events and several 500 and 250 events across the Hard-Court and Asian Swings. No player has officially qualified for the crown-jewel event, and there’s many still in contention to reach the WTA Finals with an abundance of points up for grabs.
With approximately 15 weeks to go until the WTA Finals, let’s take a look at the picture. If the tournament started today, here’s who’s in, on the bubble and outside looking in.
Qualification: The top seven players in the Race Leaderboard automatically qualify, while the eighth spot goes to the highest-ranked Grand Slam champion of the year that is ranked No. 8-20 in the race and isn’t already qualified. If the last Grand Slam champion is in position No. 21 and below, or all four major champions are in the top seven, then the next-highest ranked player at No. 8 takes the last spot.
For this year, all three Grand Slam champions are currently in the top seven and would qualify for Indian Wells if the event started today.
Race to the WTA Finals — Full qualification rules
Who’s in
1. Mirra Andreeva — 4,999 points
The World No. 5 takes pole position heading into the final stretch of the season. Andreeva’s season started with a high in Adelaide, but after tough stretch from the Middle East and Sunshine Swings, the 19-year-old had to bounce back. The change of surfaces to clay paid dividends for Andreeva, who won her first career Grand Slam in Paris, preceded by a title in Linz and a runner-up finish in Madrid.
Best results: Roland Garros champion (2000), Madrid finalist (650), Adelaide champion (500), Linz champion (500), Australian Open fourth round (240), Rome quarterfinal (215)
2. Aryna Sabalenka — 4,945 points
The World No. 1 — who’s been in that spot for 100 weeks in her career — sits just behind Andreeva in the race, spearheaded by three titles, including becoming the fifth person to achieve the Sunshine Double with back-to-back wins at Indian Wells and Miami. Sabalenka has yet to win a Grand Slam this year, but did reach the final in Melbourne, and will soon compete at the US Open where she is the two-time defending champion.
Best results: Australian Open finalist (1300), Indian Wells champion (1000), Miami champion (1000), Brisbane champion (500), Roland Garros quarterfinal (430), Wimbledon fourth round (230)
3. Elena Rybakina — 4,627 points
Rybakina’s stretch from her victory at the 2025 WTA Finals Riyadh and her second Grand Slam trophy at the 2026 Australian Open made her seem unstoppable. She had deep runs in both Sunshine Swing tournaments, and upon switching to clay, she won her second Stuttgart title. Since, she hasn’t been able to advance past the quarterfinal of any event, but a switch back to hard courts could play favor to the World No. 2.
Best results: Australian Open champion (2000), Indian Wells finalist (650), Stuttgart champion (500), Miami semifinal (390), Rome quarterfinal (215)
4. Karolina Muchova — 4,270 points
Muchova is having the best season of her career, winning two titles this season and advancing to her second career Grand Slam final just a few weeks ago at Wimbledon. The 29-year-old is in a solid position to compete in her first WTA Finals, but did recently undergo a “small surgery” that will sideline her for a few weeks. She’s reached at least the quarterfinals in each of the past three editions of the US Open, and a deep run in New York could be the final push needed to secure her spot in Tennis Paradise.
Best results: Wimbledon finalist (1300), Doha champion (1000), Bad Homburg champion (500), Miami semifinal (390), Stuttgart finalist (325)
5. Elina Svitolina — 4,116 points
Svitolina won her 20th career title and third at Rome in May, part of an overall consistent season for the Ukrainian who’s success has come on the hard and clay courts. Starting the season with a victory in New Zealand, Svitolina carried that momentum into a final four run in Melbourne. She’s played in three career WTA Finals, but none since 2019, when she reached the final in Shenzhen.
Best results: Rome champion (1000), Australian Open semifinal (780), Dubai final (650), Roland Garros quarterfinal (430), Indian Wells semifinal (390), Auckland champion (250)
6. Jessica Pegula — 3,950 points
The World No. 3 Pegula nearly secured titles on all three surfaces this season with victories in Dubai and Charleston, and a runner-up finish in Berlin. Her low, flat ball and aggressive play-style has fueled deep runs in several tournaments this year with the only hiccups in Madrid and Roland Garros. The top-ranked American has reached the WTA Finals each of the past four seasons, and is in a close race to secure her fifth consecutive.
Best results: Dubai champion (1000), Australian Open semifinal (780), Charleston champion (500), Wimbledon quarterfinal (430), Berlin finalist (325)
7. Linda Noskova — 3,674 points
Noskova slid into the No. 7 spot in the race following her first Grand Slam title at the All England Club, and has put herself in prime position to qualify for the finals as a major champion. The Czech had the best season of any player with a title in Berlin as well, and she’s also at a career-high rank of No. 7 in the PIF WTA Rankings. The Hard-Court swing in 2025 wasn’t her strongest, but her grass season will surely bring some added confidence.
Best results: Wimbledon champion (2000), Berlin champion (500), Indian Wells semifinal (390), Madrid quarterfinal (215)
Last in
8. Coco Gauff — 3,484 points
Gauff currently sits in the eighth spot, but within a margin of 500 points on each side of her is sixth place and ninth place, demonstrating how close of a race it currently is. The American has yet to win a title this season, but reached the final in two WTA 1000 events in Miami and Rome, and reached at least the quarterfinal in two Slams this year. She’s a past US Open champion, and won in Wuhan last year, and could be poised for a breakthrough win.
Best results: Wimbledon semifinal (780), Miami finalist (650), Rome finalist (650), Australian Open quarterfinal (430), Dubai semifinal (390)
On the bubble
9. Marta Kostyuk — 3,275 points
With a back-to-back Grand Slam semifinal runs in Paris and London, Kostyuk is just over 200 points away from eighth and within 1,000 of fifth. Over the course of her clay and grass seasons, the Ukrainian won 22 of 24 tour-level matches, and whether Kostyuk can handle the switch back to hard courts will be the determining factor if she’ll be in Indian Wells.
Best results: Madrid champion (1000), Roland Garros semifinal (780), Wimbledon semifinal (780), Brisbane finalist (325), Rouen champion (250)
10. Victoria Mboko — 2,393 points
A considerable gap separates Kostyuk and Mboko, who is just under 900 points away from ninth place. The Canadian teenager has reached three finals this year, just coming short in each. Having suffered a lower-body injury in Queen’s, Mboko has been sidelined since and will miss the upcoming Toronto and Cincinnati 1000 events. Still, if she can get back on the court for the US Open and Asian Swing, there’s no reason to count her out just yet.
Best results: Doha final (650), Adelaide final (325), Strasbourg final (325), Hong Kong champion (250)*
*Results from 2025 Chennai, Hong Kong, Jiujiang 250 tournaments count for the 2026 Race as they were the week before the WTA Finals. This year, Tokyo and Guangzhou are the last tournaments to count toward the 2026 race.
11. Sorana Cirstea — 2,045 points
One of the longest-tenured players on the WTA Tour is having the best season of her career, recently reaching a career-high rank of No. 17. Cirstea has been consistent all year, and has proven she’s a force to be reckoned with. If the Romanian can find a rhythm back on the hard courts and score a few more deep tournament runs, she’ll put herself into the WTA Finals conversation race.
Best results: Roland Garros quarterfinal (430), Rome semifinal (390), Cluj-Napoca (250), Wimbledon third round (130)
12. Iga Swiatek — 1,954 points
The six-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek knows what it takes to win a major, and if she can win in New York — where she has done so before — that could be her ticket to move her into the top seven or score the last berth. She won in Cincinnati last season, and has reached the past five WTA Finals. A late-season sure could have the former No. 1’s season back on track.
Best results: Australian Open quarterfinal (430), Rome semifinal (390), Indian Wells quarterfinal (215), Doha quarterfinal (215), United Cup 3-2 singles record & champion with Poland (150)
Outside looking in
13. Iva Jovic — 1,862 points
Best results: Australian Open quarterfinal (430), Wimbledon fourth round (240), Charleston semifinal (195), Queens semifinal (195), Hobart finalist (163)
14. Belinda Bencic — 1,852 points
Best results: United Cup MVP & perfect singles record (500), Roland Garros fourth round (240), Wimbledon fourth round (240), Miami quarterfinal (215)
15. Diana Shnaider — 1,685 points
Best results: Roland Garros semifinal (780), Adelaide semifinal (195), Charleston quarterfinal (108)
16. Madison Keys — 1,684 points
Best results: Eastbourne champion (250), Australian Open fourth round (240), Roland Garros fourth round (240), Wimbledon fourth round (240), Charleston semifinal (195)
17. Elise Mertens — 1,600 points
Best results: Wimbledon quarterfinal (430), Australian Open fourth round (240), United Cup 3-1 singles record (150)
18. Naomi Osaka — 1,527 points
Best results: Wimbledon quarterfinal (430), Bad Homburg finalist (325), Roland Garros fourth round (240)
19. Amanda Anisimova — 1,498 points
Best results: Australian Open quarterfinal (430), Dubai semifinal (390), Roland Garros third round (130), Wimbledon third round (130)
20. Anna Kalinskaya — 1,490 points
Best results: Roland Garros quarterfinal (430), Doha quarterfinal (215), Australian Open third round (130), Wimbledon third round (130)
Doubles Race
Qualification: The same criteria applies for the doubles race. The top seven teams on the leaderboard automatically qualify, and the eighth spot goes to the highest-ranked Grand Slam duo ranked No. 8-20 in the race and isn’t already qualified. If that Grand Slam pair is in position No. 21 and below, or all four major champion pairs are in the top seven, then the next-highest ranked team at No. 8 takes the last spot.
Currently, all three Grand Slam winning teams are in the top seven and would qualify for Indian Wells if the event started today.
Team | Points | Tournaments played together
1. Taylor Townsend & Katerina Siniakova* | 6,250 points | 7
2. Gabriela Dabrowski & Luisa Stefani | 5,723 points | 11
3. Aleksandra Krunic & Anna Danilina | 5,389 points | 11
4. Kristina Mladenovic & Hanyu Guo* | 3,331 points | 7
5. Shuai Zhang & Elise Mertens* | 3,018 points | 9
6. Demi Schuurs & Ellen Perez | 2,808 points | 14
7. Vera Zvonareva & Laura Siegemund | 2,068 points | 8
Last in:
8. Nicole Melichar-Martinez & Cristina Bucsa | 1,977 points | 9
*indicates Grand Slam champion pair this year