Fritz returns to ATP top 10, Navarro is career-high WTA No. 8 after US Open

New York: US Open men’s runner-up Taylor Fritz returned to the top 10 in the ATP rankings at No. 7 on Monday, and women’s runner-up Jessica Pegula rose to No. 3 in the WTA list, while semi-finalist Emma Navarro climbed to a career-best No. 8.

Men’s champion Jannik Sinner nearly doubled his lead as the ATP’s No. 1 — a spot he’s held since June — a day after defeating Fritz 6-3, 6-4, 7-5, and women’s champion Aryna Sabalenka stayed at No. 2 in the WTA behind Iga Swiatek, who lost to Pegula in the quarter-finals.

“I mean, I’m not trying to focus on ranking, to be honest. Not like I’m checking where I’m going to be after the tournament,” Sabalenka said Saturday after her 7-5, 7-5 victory over Pegula in the final.

“I’m just trying to focus on myself, and I know that if (at) each tournament I’ll be able to play my best tennis ... I’ll be able to become world No. 1 again. So, my focus is on myself, on improving myself as a player and as a person. Hopefully, one day, I’ll see myself (back) on the top of the ranking.”

Sabalenka briefly supplanted Swiatek at No. 1 after finishing as the runner-up to Coco Gauff at last year’s US Open. Sabalenka is the only woman to collect more than one Grand Slam title in 2024; she won the Australian Open in January.

Last year’s champions at Flushing Meadows both dropped Monday: Gauff went from No. 3 to No. 6 after being eliminated in the fourth round by Navarro, and Novak Djokovic slid from No. 2 to No. 4 after he was beaten in the third round by

Alexei Popyrin.