The WTA 125 circuit and ITF World Tour continue through the off-season, with three former Top 100 players returning to that echelon after lifting trophies last week.

Former No. 23 Zhang Shuai did not drop a set en route to the Yokohama ITF W50, defeating Ku Yeonwoo 6-3, 6-2 in the final to avenge a loss in the previous week’s Takasaki ITF W100 semifinals. Zhang, 36, climbs 12 places to No. 90 in this week’s PIF WTA Rankings, returning to the Top 100 for the first time since September 2023. This year, the Chinese player has also captured ITF titles at the Gifu W100 and Nottingham W50, as well as reaching the Guangzhou semifinals last month. Zhang is the third-oldest player in this week’s Top 100, following 38-year-old Tatjana Maria at No. 45 and 37-year-old Laura Siegemund at No. 46.

Former No. 76 Panna Udvardy captured her second career WTA 125 trophy on the clay of Buenos Aires last week, reclaiming a title she previously won in 2022. Like Zhang, Udvardy did not drop a set all tournament, defeating Sara Sorribes Tormo 7-5, 6-2 in the second round and Varvara Lepchenko 6-3, 7-5 in the final. The Hungarian — who had lost both of her previous WTA 125 finals this year in Guadalajara and Cali — jumps 12 places to No. 95, and is back in the Top 100 for the first time since September 2024.

Meanwhile, former No. 51 Elena-Gabriela Ruse had only dipped out of the Top 100 one week previously, but the Romanian has quickly reclaimed her spot with a title run at last week’s Trnava ITF W75 on indoor hard courts. The 28-year-old came from a set down to defeat former junior No. 1 Lucie Havlickova 5-7, 6-4, 6-0 in the final.

Marcinko, Jones up to new highs; Ku, Cross break Top 200

Another two former junior No. 1s have reached new career highs after title runs last week. Petra Marcinko swept the Fujairah ITF W75 tournament to lift her fourth trophy of the year, following the Rome WTA 125 and two ITF W100s in Landisville and Tyler. The 19-year-old Croatian is up 11 places to No. 103.

Meanwhile, 17-year-old Australian Emerson Jones successfully defended her Playford ITF W75 title — and with it, earned herself a main-draw wild card to the 2026 Australian Open. Jones also rises 11 spots to No. 151.

Two of last week’s runners-up have both cracked the Top 200 for the first time this week. Ku was ranked No. 302 just five weeks ago; since then, the 22-year-old South Korean has won back-to-back ITF W35 titles in Portugal before reaching consecutive finals at the Takasaki ITF W100 and Yokohama ITF W50. Ku’s 18-2 record in her past four tournaments lifts her another 19 places to No. 195.

Cross, 20, also reached her second straight ITF final last week at the Ortisei W50. The Canadian — who partnered Victoria Mboko to two Grand Slam girls’ doubles finals in 2022 — is up 16 spots to No. 200.

Other notable rankings movements

Laura Samson, +18 to No. 215: The 17-year-old Czech is up to a new career high after making the Buenos Aires WTA 125 quarterfinals. Samson is now the third-highest ranked 2008-born player following Jones and Lilli Tagger.

Eva Guerrero Alvarez, +31 to No. 249: Guerrero Alvarez, 26, reached a career high of No. 221 back in 2019 before being struck by injuries. The Spaniard is nearing that peak again after winning her second ITF W50 of 2025 in Ortisei last week.

Lucie Havlickova, +42 to No. 283: Havlickova compiled an 11-match winning streak in Trnava over the past two weeks, winning the W50 event as a qualifier before reaching the W75 final. The 20-year-old Czech was previously the 2022 Roland Garros junior champion and reached her career high of No. 196 in July 2023, but was sidelined for 13 months between May 2024 and June 2025 and returned to action unranked.

Alevtina Ibragimova, +80 to No. 325: Ibragimova, 20, reached her first ITF W75 final last week in Fujairah as a qualifier. She upset top seed Anastasia Zakharova in the quarterfinals 2-6, 7-6(10), 7-5, saving two match points.

Francesca Pace, +56 to No. 344: The 20-year-old Italian — who is the daughter of former No. 7 Irina Spirlea — won her third ITF W35 title in her past five tournaments two weeks ago in Boca Raton. Pace climbs to a new career high.

Caijsa Hennemann, +61 to No. 386: Hennemann was sidelined for 11 months between July 2024 and June 2025, but has compiled a 38-7 record since returning. The 24-year-old Swede, who reached a career high of No. 283 in 2023, won her fourth ITF title of the year at the Antalya W35 two weeks ago.