France's Ponchet powers to career-high ranking with W40 Macon triumph

France’s Jessika Ponchet has broken new ground after victory at W40 Macon – her first ITF World Tennis Tour title of 2023 – propelled her to a career-high No. 138 in the WTA Rankings.

Home favourite Ponchet entered the tournament in promising form having reached the semi-finals at W60 Grenoble during her last event and duly dispatched all before her in Macon to top the podium in style.

The 26-year-old defeated Belgium’s Yanina Wickmayer, who was seeking her second title of the campaign, in the final, 6-3 2-6 6-4, to claim victory, lift silverware and jump 24 places in the world rankings.

“My first title of 2023,” said Ponchet. “Thank you Macon and thank you to the whole organisation for their kindness. I have a new best ranking to come. Thank you for all the support during the matches.”

Ponchet is now the seventh highest-ranked French woman in the world behind Caroline Garcia, Alize Cornet, Oceane Dodin, Clara Burel, Leolia Jeanjean and Diane Parry.

Elsewhere on the ITF World Tennis Tour Women’s, Argentina’s Solana Sierra, who received an ITF-administered Grand Slam Player Grant – financed through the Grand Slam Player Development Programme – in 2022, sealed the biggest title of her career.

Sierra, who has also previously travelled as part of the Grand Slam Player Development Programme/ITF Touring Team, topped the podium at W25 Tucuman – her first title of 2023.

There was also a maiden title of the season for Canada’s Stacey Fung, who triumphed at W25 Santo Domingo, while Australia’s Arina Rodionova sealed her first title since 2018 with victory on home soil at W25 Swan Hill.

Catch up on all the weekend’s results on the ITF World Tennis Tour here.