Iga Swiatek dismantled Jessica Pegula to progress to the semi-finals at the 2026 Italian Open, but how has the result affected the WTA Rankings?

World No 3 Swiatek crushed fifth-ranked Pegula 6-1, 6-2 in the last eight at the WTA 1000 tournament at the Foro Italico in Rome.

In a one-sided contest, Swiatek won 58 of the 90 points and broke Pegula twice in each set, while she did not face a single break point on her own serve.

Speaking in her on-court interview, Swiatek said: “Yeah, for sure, the stuff we did for the last weeks helped a lot. I feel much better and a lot of confidence on my shots.

“So I was using that from the beginning of the match today and putting pressure on Jessie. So I’m really happy with the way I played.”

Swiatek began the Italian Open on 6,948 points in the world No 3 position in the WTA Rankings.

The six-time Grand Slam champion was defending 65 points in Rome after she fell in the third round at last year’s tournament.

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By reaching the semi-finals in Rome this year, Swiatek has collected 390 points, which has increased her points total to 7,273 in the Live WTA Rankings.

Swiatek’s win against Pegula has ensured that she will retain the world No 3 spot when the WTA Rankings officially update next week. If she reaches the final, she will jump to 7,533 points, while winning the title would lift her to 7,883 points.

World No 4 Coco Gauff began the event with 6,749 points, but she was defending 650 points having been a runner-up in 2025.

The 22-year-old American needed Swiatek to fall before the semi-finals to have a chance of overtaking the 24-year-old Pole.

Gauff is also through to the last four, and she is on 6,489 points in the Live WTA Rankings before her showdown with Sorana Cirstea. The two-time major winner will move to 6,749 points if she reaches the final, or 7,033 if she secures the title.

Pegula, meanwhile, will remain the world No 5 after her quarter-final exit. The 32-year-old American is on 6,286 points and needed to reach the last four to preserve her hopes of overtaking Gauff.

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