Welcome to the third edition of women’s singles power rankings in 2024.
These rankings are a subjective view of the entire pro field. Here are some of the factors taken into consideration:
- Recent finishes (specifically the last three months)
- PPA Points
- APP Points
- Head-to-head competition
- Number of events played
- MLP Dreambreaker performance
Erik Tice
20. Liz Truluck (Previously 15th) – Truluck has played all 11 PPA events in women's singles and has an average finish of 16th. The Southern California native has made the Round of 16 seven out of 11 times and even has a quarterfinal run on her resume. Truluck has been unlucky with her draws, having to play against eventual winner Brooke Buckner in LA, and Anna Leigh Waters in the Texas Open last week. Truluck has the talent to make a medal run by the end of the year.
19. Amanda Hendry (19) - Recently, the young lefty earned herself a silver medal at the APP Cincinnati. On her way to second place, Hendry beat Alexa Schull, Madalina Grigoriu, and the No. 3 seed, Shelby Bates. In the most recent APP NYC, Hendry finished in 6th place, losing to Maria Klokotsky in the third game, 14-16.
18. Yana Newell (NR) - Yana didn't play much in early 2024. She had a great second half of the 2023 season, doing well on both the PPA and APP Tours. Obviously Power Rankings are very subjective and Yana is in the rankings for the first time mostly based on her potential. Newell has only played singles three times this year – APP Delray Beach, Cincinnati, and NYC. She finished 3rd, 5th, and 2nd, respectively. Since it seems Newell is now back playing full time, I expect her to climb up in the women's game quickly.
17. Christine Maddox (NR) - Maddox has only played seven of the 11 PPA events thus far in 2024, with an average finishing position of 16th. In her last four events though, she is averaging 11th, with two quarterfinal runs. In addition to the PPA Tour, Maddox is on the SoCal Hard Eights in MLP and had to go through three Dreambreakers in Atlanta, with a 56 percent win percentage, despite two rounds against Todd Fought. I am confident Maddox will see the podium sometime this year in singles.
16. Mari Humberg (17) - The Brazilian has played seven events this year in singles, and she has made the quarterfinals in four of those events. Humberg has been extremely unlucky with the draws in the last six weeks. She faced Megan Fudge in two APP events and the US Open, losing all three times. If Humberg can find herself on the opposite side of the draw soon, she may be medaling on the APP Tour.
15. Dominique Schaefer (18) - Schaefer is another player in our power rankings who does not have a medal yet in 2024. Her average finish on the year is 14th, and in the last six weeks it is 12th. Dominique has made the quarterfinals twice on tour and hasn't missed the Round of 16 in the last four months. Her consistency is keeping Domi in the power rankings, but to move up, she is going to have to start making the semifinals.
14. Lacy Schneemann (14) - Lacy did not have the start to the 2024 season that she wanted and I don't think she was playing with confidence. Then she got a bronze medal at the PPA Houston Open, beating Genie Erokhina and Alix Truong along the way. She followed that up with a fourth-place finish in PPA LA, beating LingWei Kong and Lea Jansen. Schneemann is now playing confidently, and the results are showing.
13. Line Padegimaite (12) - Lina is the highest-rated player on this list with no medals. She is just super consistent, finishing in the quarterfinals or better in the last four events. Most recently at the PPA Texas Open, she beat Shelby Bates and Dominique Schaefer before losing to eventual winner Salome Devidze. I am confident Lina will find herself on the podium by the end of the year.
12. Lauren Stratman (13) - Stratman won a silver medal in LA, beating Emilia Schmidt, Christine Maddox, and Kaitlyn Christian along the way. I believe Stratman developed some sort of injury at PPA Atlanta, retiring in the second games against Tammy Emmrich. Lauren didn't play the PPA Texas Open but is in the draw for PPA Sacramento.
11. Jorja Johnson (11) - Jorja won APP Sacramento in March and the US Open in April. Johnson has played 10 events in singles this year between the APP and PPA Tour and US Open, never missing the Round of 16. In her last four events, Jorja is averaging a finishing position of 7.25 and added a fourth-place finish at PPA LA.
10. Kaitlyn Christian (8) - Christian has four medals on the PPA Tour this year - bronze at Desert Ridge, LA, and Red Rock. She made it to Championship Sunday at PPA Austin. Kaitlyn has had some ups and downs on the tour, but her average finish on the year is 10th. She has beaten pretty much every good player you can think of other than Anna Leigh Waters.
9. Parris Todd (9) - Parris has three medals on tour in 2024 - a bronze at PPA Austin, and a silver medal at the Indoor Championships and PPA Atlanta. Parris has played in eight tournaments this year with an average finish of 7.25. Fun stat: The last time Parris finished worse than fourth? The Mesa Arizona Cup in late February.
8. Brooke Buckner (10) - In our last power rankings I said Buckner would have to get more quarterfinals and even a semifinal in order to move up from 10th position. Well she won the next tournament - PPA LA. Brooke beat Liz Truluck, Layne Sleeth, Lacy Schneemann, and Lauren Stratman for the win. Buckner is definitely a top 10 singles player.
7. Judit Castillo (3) - Castillo came out of the gates ROARING in 2024. The Spaniard plays both on the APP Tour and PPA Tour. She started out winning APP Punta Gorda and followed it up with a bronze at APP Sacramento. She then won PPA Austin and APP Delray Beach. Since then? A 26th-place finish, followed by a 5th and 7th. Castillo is definitely a top 10 woman in singles and she has ELITE athleticism.
6. Mary Brascia (7) - Mary got her first win on tour in 2024 at the PPA Red Rock Open. She also has two silvers this year as well - PPA Desert Ridge and the Mesa Arizona Cup. Brascia has four quarterfinal finishes and has exited in the Round of 16 twice this year. She is averaging a finishing position of 7.5 in the last six events.
5. Megan Fudge (6) - Fudge has played in seven events this year - six on the APP Tour and the US Open. In those seven events - seven medals. One bronze, four silver, and two golds. Fudge is consistently the best singles player on the APP Tour and it's not even really close. Her athleticism, mental fortitude, and great ground strokes make her a problem for whoever plays her.
Erik Tice
4. Salome Devidze (5) - Devidze's results in her last five events: 4th, 1st, 4th, 3rd, 2nd. Devidze won the Indoor Championships and in her two most recent tournaments she won a bronze and silver in Atlanta and Dallas. Salome is competing with ladies in singles even into her late 30s. Even though she is not the fastest player on the court, her groundstrokes are so precise and she grinds her opponents down.
3. Catherine Parenteau (2) - Catherine took that month off and then came back to play Parris Todd in PPA Atlanta in the Round of 16, losing in three games. She did beat Amanda Hendry and Kaitlyn Christian at the PPA Texas Open on the way to a bronze medal. Catherine has just been a little up and down this year in singles, and is still searching for her first gold medal of the year.
2. Lea Jansen (4) - Jansen's results from the last two months: 3rd, 1st, 7th, 2nd, 4th, 1st. Lea now has two wins on the PPA Tour in 2024 - one in Houston and one in Dallas. Jansen is the best player at covering the net in the women's game and her groundstrokes from either side are extremely powerful. Jansen is easily the second-best singles player in the world right now.
1. Anna Leigh Waters (1) - I put together these stats about ALW in the Texas Open recap, but they belong here, too.
- 47 - Number of matches Anna Leigh played in a row without losing
- 96 - Number of games Anna Leigh won during the same time
- 8 - Number of games Anna Leigh lost during the entire 10-month period
She is playing so well right now, and yes, she lost for the first time in forever in Dallas, but she is very easily the best women's singles player right now.
