Historic Top-10 Ranking for Bencic and Svitolina
Belinda Bencic and Elina Svitolina have made history by becoming the first mothers to be ranked simultaneously inside the world's top 10 in women's tennis.
Bencic, 28, who gave birth to her daughter Bella in April 2024, has climbed one spot to ninth in the latest WTA rankings following an 11-month maternity break.
Svitolina, 31, whose daughter Skai was born in October 2022, advanced two places to 10th after reaching the semi-finals of the Australian Open last month.
New mothers returning to professional tennis are allowed to use their previous ranking to enter up to 12 tournaments within a three-year period from the birth of their child.
Bencic said competing again at the highest level after maternity leave is something she "incredibly proud of".
"Very few people know or have experienced how difficult that journey is, but my family, my team and I have put all of our energy, work and dedication into it to accomplish this goal," the former Olympic champion said.
Svitolina, who has won 19 singles tour titles and reached a career-high ranking of third in 2018, expressed the significance of returning to the top 10 as a mother.
"I'm proud of my fight and resilience, and I can't thank the fans enough for their incredible support," added Svitolina, who is married to French player Gael Monfils.
Last summer, the WTA introduced a new rule allowing female players who wish to freeze eggs or embryos to preserve their rankings while planning to start a family later.
ATP Rankings Update
In the men's ATP rankings, Novak Djokovic has replaced Alexander Zverev at number three following his appearance in the Melbourne final.
Djokovic, 38, was aiming to secure a record 25th Grand Slam title on Sunday but was defeated in four sets by Carlos Alcaraz.
Alcaraz remains at number one after becoming the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam at 22 years old with his seventh major title.
German player Zverev, who lost to Alcaraz in the semi-finals, dropped to fourth, while Italian Jannik Sinner maintained his second position after losing to Djokovic in the semi-finals.