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With the Olympics wrapping up, and the absent top players taking a break (Roger Federer, for example, is vacationing in Croatia with his family), It was Casper Ruud time.

The 22-year-old from Norway won his THIRD consecutive tournament on red clay, pumping 750 points into his rankings total after nabbing the titles in Bastad, Gstaad and Kitzbuhel.

Clay is Ruud’s best surface. And he wouldn’t exactly back himself to earn those types of points at the US Open.

WTA Tour Rankings Report – as of Aug. 2, 2021

So it was a great opportunity to make a move – as long as the body held up. Which it did.

(For the full ATP Tour rankings picture, click here).

ON THE UPSWING

Casper Ruud (NOR): No. 14 =========> No. 12 (The Norwegian began his three-tournament streak ranked No. 16 and wraps it up at a career high No. 12. He’s 35-9 on the season with four titles. And they gave his girlfriend some traditional Austrian garb to wear for the final, too).

John Isner (USA): No. 35 =========> No. 30 (By winning his sixth title in Atlanta, Isner looks good to get a seeded spot at the US Open – which will relieve a lot of the higher-ranked players in the draw.

Emil Ruusuvuori (FIN): No. 78 =========> No. 69 (A career high for the 22-year-old after reaching the semifinals in Atlanta).

Pedro Martinez (ESP): No. 97 =========> No. 76 (The Spaniard was NOT pleased at losing the Kitzbuhel final – the first thing he did was chuck his racquet towards his seat. But he hits a career high anyway – and his girlfriend also got a fetching ensemble.

Arthur Rinderknech (FRA): No. 91 =========> No. 79 (Another week, another career high for the 26-year-old from France. He got into Kitzbuhel as an alternate, and ran it to the semifinals with solid wins over Delbonis and Krajinovic, before falling to Ruud. He wen t9-3 on the clay-court swing after Wimbledon and improved early 30 spots in the rankings).

Brandon Nakashima (USA): No. 115 =========> No. 89 (The 19-year-old looks to have the goods, with finals both at Los Cabos two weeks ago and Acapulco this past week. He beat Isner in Mexico; Isner returned the favour on Sunday. He leaps into the top 100 for the first time).

(All screenshots: TennisTV)

Mikael Ymer (SWE): No. 99 =========> No. 91

Benjamin Bonzi (FRA): No. 111 =========> No. 95 (Another late bloomer from France – Bonzi is 25 – jumps into the top 100 for the first time, joining Rinderknech. He won the Challenger in Segovia, Spain).

Alejandro Tabilo (CHI): No. 174 =========> No. 164 (The Canadian-Chlean, 24, reached the Lexington Challenger final and is just eight spots away from his career high).

Holger Vitus Nodskov Rune (DEN): No. 206 =========> No. 190 (The 18-year-old is into the top 200 for the first time after qualifying and reaching the second round in Kitzbuhel. He took Rinderknech to a third-se tiebreak before bowing out).

Jason Kubler (AUS): No. 272 =========> No. 230 (The Aussie wins the Lexington Challenger).

ON THE DOWNSWING

Jannik Sinner (ITA): No. 23 =========> No. 24 (The 19-year-old Italian dropped a spot in the singles after an early exit in Atlanta. But he combined with Reilly Opelka to win the doubles – his first ATP Tour doubles title.

Photo: Truist Atlanta Open/Alex Smith)

Albert Ramos-Vinolas (ESP): No. 43 =========> No. 48

Miomir Kecmanovic (SRB): No. 52 =========> No. 59

Nick Kyrgios (AUS): No. 58 =========> No. 77 (Kyrgios was ousted in the second round in Atlanta. But it appears his points from winning the Washington 500 tournament in 2019 are off the charts already. The tumble puts him into the qualifying at the biggest events now; we’ll see how that sits with him).

Guido Pella (ARG): No. 76 =========> No. 85

Stefano Travaglia (ITA): No. 88 =========> No.98

Norbert Gombos (SVK): No. 98 =========> No. 108

Yannick Hanfmann (GER): No. 100 =========> No. 14

Fernando Verdasco (ESP): No. 128 =========> No. 134

Hyeon Chung (KOR): No. 186 =========> No. 213 (The former No. 19, now 25 and missing in action since the Roland Garros qualifying last October, is now going to see the effect on his ranking as the ATP freeze is shortly to end).