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A late update this week (and next week as well) because of the staggered starts in Asia, to accommodate the bigger draw and longer running time of the ATP 1000 in Shanghai.

So the finals in Zhuhai and Chengdu were only Tuesday night, China time.

Along with those, a lot of Challenger action and also career highs for veterans Liam Broady and Roman Safiullin.

WTA Rankings Report – As of Sept. 25, 2023

For the complete, updated ATP Tour rankings for this week, click here.

ON THE UPSWING

Karen Khachanov (RUS): No. 15 ==========> No. 14 (Khachanov had played just one match since Roland Garros when he arrived in Zhuhai last week. And won the tournament. It’s his first since since 2018, when the Paris Masteres was his third title of the year – all indoors). He drops Canadian Félix Auger-Aliassime down a spot).

Sebastian Korda (USA): No. 33 ==========> No. 28 (Korda …. It’s just 45 net points as Korda makes the Zhuhai semis but it’s five spots to him and he’s back in the top 30).

Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN): No. 46 ==========> No. 38 (Nishioka is back in the top 40 with his effort in getting to the final in Zhuhai).

Roman Safiullin (RUS): No. 55 ==========> No. 41 (At the relatively late age of 26, Safiullin’s steady game has paid dividends and his run to the final in Chengdu moves him to within 25 points of the top 40 – and to a career high. He also goes over the $1 million mark in prize money this year).

Aslan Karatsev (RUS): No. 63 ==========> No. 52 (Karatsev, who kind of showed Safiullin the way for Russians who never quite fulfilled their early promise to get it done later on, moves up again with a semfinal in Zhuhai).

Michael Mmoh (USA): No. 94 ==========> No. 84 (Mmoh moves up with a semifinal at the Saint-Tropez Challenger, although he had to retire in the first set).

Liam Broady (GBR): No. 107 ==========> No. 94 (A few months before he turns 30, the British lefty finally breaks into the top 100 with a run to the Saint-Tropez final. He’s been in the 100-200 range for nearly three years, and finally got off the schneid. That’s persistence).

Constant Lestienne (FRA): No. 107 ==========> No. 94 (Lestienne wins the Saint-Tropez Challenger over Lian Broady in the final, benefiting from retirements in both the quarters and semifinals).

Denis Kudla (USA): No. 205 ==========> No. 173 (Kudla, 31, had a great week in Columbus and won the Challenger over Quebecer Alexis Galarneau in the final).

Alexis Galarneau (CAN): No. 202 ==========> No. 176 (Galarneau rode the wave from his impressive performance in Davis Cup to get all the way to the final at the Columbus Challenger, and give his ranking a nice bump. He’s at a similar event in Charleston this week).

Philip Sekulic (AUS): No. 327 ==========> No. 292 (The 20-year-old Aussie breaks into the top 300 for the first time, after qualifying and winning a round in Chengdu. Sekulic was at No. 470 when he came to Quebec and made the quarters at the ITF in Laval, and then ran from the qualies to the final at the Granby Challenger. That bumped him up some 130 spots and set him on his way).

ON THE DOWNSWING

Daniel Evans (GBR): No. 27 ==========> No. 33 (Evans flew from Manchester to China after the thrill of Davis Cup at home. And even after a bye he just wasn’t quite ready to play his best – with all due credit to Safiullin, who defeated him. Evans made the semis of a 250 that popped up in San Diego a year ago, with China still shut tight).

Alexander Bublik (KAZ): No. 29 ==========> No. 35 (Bublik lost in the first round of Chengdu last week – his fourth consecutive opening loss although the first three were to Monfils, Hurkacz and Thiem. A year ago the Mets tournament was in last week’s slot, and he made the final in that one).

Stan Wawrinka (SUI): No. 40 ==========> No. 47 (Wawrinka played Davis Cup, and so didn’t get to Asia to try to defend his points from making the Metz semifinal a year ago. He’s in Astana this week).

Lorenzo Sonego (ITA): No. 38 ==========> No. 56 (Sonego, who is a bit of an up and down player anyway, drops points from winning the Mets tournament a year ago notably beating Holger Rune in the quarterfinals, Wawrinka by retirement in the semis and Bublik in the final. He, too, didn’t get to Asia after playing Davis Cup for Italy the previous week).

Marcos Giron (USA): No. 64 ==========> No. 82 (Giron made the final in San Diego last year, so far the only final or title of his career. But he lost in the second round last week).

Brandon Nakashima (USA): No. 81 ==========> No. 123 (Tough drop for Nakashima, who just a year ago win the ATP 250 in San Diego – which happens to be where he’s from. He lost in the first round of Chengdu to Safiullin, and is already out in the first round of qualifying of Beijing this week. A little less than a year ago he was at a career-high No. 43).

Thiago Monteiro (BRA): No. 117 ==========> No. 153 (Monteiro hasn’t played the last couple of weeks, so his points from winning a Challenger in Italy a year ago drop off).

Jenson Brooksby (USA): No. 192 ==========> No. 230 (Brooksby hasn’t played since the Australian Open, and had left wrist surgery in March and right wrist surgery in May. This is … not good. In the meantime his ranking is dropping. He drops points from a quarterfinal in San Diego this week. And will drop more from a semifinal in Seoul next week. But he has a bigger issue – he accepted a year-long suspension from the ITIA for missing three “whereabouts rule” tests over a 12-month span. He’s waiting for an arbitration hearing. But if he’s not successful he might have to wait at least until next July to play. And it remains to be seen if a protected ranking will still be valid).

Nicolas Kicker (ARG): No. 248 ==========> No. 320 (The Argentine hasn’t played since retiring in the first round of qualifying at Roland Garros in May).

Justin Boulais (CAN): No. 522 ==========> No. 625 (Ranked in the top 500 last month, Boulais has lost his last four matches, including in the first round of Colombus last week when he was in the main draw a wild card. He has dropped pounts from winning a $15K ITF last year two weeks ago, and winning a round in Columbus last year as well).