Elina Svitolina and Belinda Bencic have made history as the first two mothers to appear simultaneously in the WTA top 10, following impressive runs at the 2026 Australian Open. Svitolina reached the semifinals in Melbourne, while Bencic advanced to the second round after an unbeaten United Cup campaign. Elena Rybakina claimed the title, boosting her to No. 3 in the rankings.
The 2026 Australian Open concluded with Elena Rybakina defeating world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in a three-set final to secure her second major title. Rybakina, who entered the tournament after winning 20 of her previous 21 matches since October 2025, rose two places to No. 3, matching her career high from June 2023. Her only loss in that streak was to Karolina Muchova in the Brisbane quarterfinals, and she extended her winning record against top-10 opponents to 10 straight victories. She now trails No. 2 Iga Swiatek by 368 points.
Elina Svitolina, returning from maternity leave in April 2023 when she was ranked No. 1,344, climbed two spots to No. 10—her first top-10 appearance since October 2021. The Ukrainian, seeded 12th, advanced to her fourth Grand Slam semifinal, defeating Mirra Andreeva and No. 3 Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-2 in the quarterfinals before falling to Sabalenka. Svitolina recorded four aces and 16 unforced errors in the Gauff match, where the American committed 23 unforced errors despite adjusting her racket strings mid-match. This marks two of her four major semifinals as a mother.
Belinda Bencic, 14 months after maternity leave, rose to No. 9 following an unbeaten United Cup performance and a second-round finish in Melbourne. The pair join Margaret Court, Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Kim Clijsters, and Serena Williams as top-10 ranked mothers. Sabalenka remains No. 1, with Swiatek at No. 2.
The tournament also saw five teenagers reach the third round, the most at a major since 2009. Victoria Mboko hit No. 13, Iva Jovic No. 20 after her first top-10 win over Jasmine Paolini, and others like Tereza Valentova (No. 44) and Maya Joint (No. 29) achieved career highs.
