WTA rankings: Serena enters top 10 after returning from maternity leave

After coming back from her maternity leave, Serena Williams has broken into the top 10 of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) rankings, updated on Monday.

American tennis star has attained the 10th position following a span of two years. She has not played any match since the quarter-finals of the Australian Open in 2017. However, Williams has benefitted from other players falling down the rankings and losing crucial points.

It is the first time that Williams has entered in top 10 rankings since dropping down to the world number 15 in July 2017. She dipped to as low as number 491, but she made triumphant strides in the Indian Wells tournament allowing her to climb the rankings.

Williams' compatriot Sloane Stephens has jumped from number four to take number three although she has not played a singles match since last week.

Former world number one and Romanian Simona Halep acquired the number two upon reaching the finals of Doha Open.

Ashleigh Barty, who appeared in the quarter-final of the Australian Open, has reached her career-best ranking of number 12.

Russian star Vitalia Diatchenko is the one to have made the biggest move in the rankings, as she climbed to number 98. She was previously positioned at the 127th spot but by beating Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium in the final of an International Tennis Federation (ITF) event, she was able to make a significant move in the rankings.