Garbiñe Muguruza will not have to be aware of what happens next week in the women’s circuit nor will he have to participate in the 250 in Cluj (Romania) to certify his pass to the WTA Finals, which will be played in Guadalajara (Mexico) from November 10 to 17. Because the resignation of the number one in the world, Ashleigh Barty, puts the Spaniard mathematically among the eight best of the campaign and makes Paula Badosa’s sorting options increase a lot.
If the two finally play the Masters Tournament, it will be the first edition with two Navy tennis players since 2000, when Arantxa Sánchez Vicario and Conchita Martínez participated. On that occasion, the first one fell in the initial round and the current Muguruza coach, in the quarterfinals.
Provisional classification of the race to the WTA Finals
| Position | Player | Points |
| 1. | Ashleigh Barty (Aus) * | 6.411 |
| 2. | Aryna Sabalenka (Bie) | 4.768 |
| 3. | Barbora Krejcikova (RCh) | 4.518 |
| 4. | Karolina Pliskova (RCh) | 4.036 |
| 5. | Maria Sakkari (Gray) | 3.341 |
| 6. | Garbiñe Muguruza (Esp) | 3.239 |
| 7. | Iga Swiatek (Pol) | 3.226 |
| 8. | Paula Badosa (Esp) | 3.112 |
| 9. | Ons Jabeur (Tun) | 2.940 |
| 10. | Naomi Osaka (Jap)** | 2.771 |
| 11 | Anett Kontaveit (Est) | 2.910 |
* Waiver
** Can no longer enter the top nine
“I need to prioritize my body and my recovery to focus on having the strongest possible preseason for the Australian summer,” Barty justified, champion of the last WTA Finals in 2019, which points to Australia’s restrictions due to the pandemic (a mandatory quarantine is required to enter her country) as the main reason for her absence from the Masters.
Badosa, one step away
The other big beneficiary of Ash’s decision is the Polish Iga Swiatek, classified as Muguruza, who will rest next week. Badosa will not compete in Cluj either and trusts that Jabeur, doubtful for the 250 of Courmayeur (Italy), and Kontaveit (champion this Sunday against Alexandrova in the Moscow final), who will be in Romania, will not surpass him.