List of WTA number 1 ranked singles tennis players
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Iga Świątek, currently ranked No. 1 in women's singles.
The WTA rankings are the Women's Tennis Association's (WTA) merit-based system for determining the rankings in women's tennis. The top-ranked player is the player who, over the previous 52 weeks, has garnered the most ranking points on the WTA Tour. Points are awarded based on how far a player advances in tournaments and the category of those tournaments. The WTA has used a computerized system for determining the rankings since November 3, 1975. Since 1975, 28 women have been ranked No. 1 by the WTA, of which 14 have been year-end No. 1.
WTA No. 1 ranked singles players[edit]
The rankings are sourced by the WTA Media Guide and the WTA website (which usually revises its rankings every Sunday night or Monday morning, except when tournament finals are postponed).[1][2]
Steffi Graf spent 377 weeks at the top of the WTA ranking, the most of any player.
First-time No. 1 player (active players in bold).
WTA rankings record. Current World No. 1 (weeks are automatically updated).
| No. | Player | Start date | End date | Weeks | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Chris Evert (USA)
|
Nov 3, 1975 | Apr 25, 1976 | 25 | 25 |
| 2 |  Evonne Goolagong Cawley (AUS)
|
Apr 26, 1976 | May 9, 1976 | 2 | 2 |
| Chris Evert (2)
|
May 10, 1976 | Jul 9, 1978 | 113 | 138 | |
| 3 | Martina Navratilova (USA)
|
Jul 10, 1978 | Jan 13, 1979 | 26 | 26 |
| Chris Evert (3)
|
Jan 14, 1979 | Jan 27, 1979 | 2 | 140 | |
| Martina Navratilova (2)
|
Jan 28, 1979 | Feb 24, 1979 | 4 | 30 | |
| Chris Evert (4)
|
Feb 25, 1979 | Apr 15, 1979 | 7 | 147 | |
| Martina Navratilova (3)
|
Apr 16, 1979 | Jun 24, 1979 | 10 | 40 | |
| Chris Evert (5)
|
Jun 25, 1979 | Sep 9, 1979 | 11 | 158 | |
| Martina Navratilova (4)
|
Sep 10, 1979 | Apr 6, 1980 | 31 | 71 | |
| 4 | Tracy Austin (USA)
|
Apr 7, 1980 | Apr 20, 1980 | 2 | 2 |
| Martina Navratilova (5)
|
Apr 21, 1980 | Jul 6, 1980 | 11 | 82 | |
| Tracy Austin (2)
|
Jul 7, 1980 | Nov 17, 1980 | 19 | 21 | |
| Chris Evert (6)
|
Nov 18, 1980 | May 2, 1982 | 76 | 234 | |
| Martina Navratilova (6)
|
May 3, 1982 | May 16, 1982 | 2 | 84 | |
| Chris Evert (7)
|
May 17, 1982 | Jun 13, 1982 | 4 | 238 | |
| Martina Navratilova (7)
|
Jun 14, 1982 | Jun 9, 1985 | 156 | 240 | |
| Chris Evert (8)
|
Jun 10, 1985 | Oct 13, 1985 | 18 | 256 | |
| Martina Navratilova (8)
|
Oct 14, 1985 | Oct 27, 1985 | 2 | 242 | |
| Chris Evert (9)
|
Oct 28, 1985 | Nov 24, 1985 | 4 | 260 | |
| Martina Navratilova (9)
|
Nov 25, 1985 | Aug 16, 1987 | 90 | 332 | |
| 5 |  Steffi Graf (GER)
|
Aug 17, 1987 | Mar 10, 1991 | 186
|
186 |
| 6 |  Monica Seles (YUG)
|
Mar 11, 1991 | Aug 4, 1991 | 21 | 21 |
| Steffi Graf (2)
|
Aug 5, 1991 | Aug 11, 1991 | 1 | 187 | |
| Monica Seles (2)
|
Aug 12, 1991 | Aug 18, 1991 | 1 | 22 | |
| Steffi Graf (3)
|
Aug 19, 1991 | Sep 8, 1991 | 3 | 190 | |
/ Monica Seles[n 1] (3)
|
Sep 9, 1991 | Jun 6, 1993 | 91 | 113 | |
| Steffi Graf (4)
|
Jun 7, 1993 | Feb 5, 1995 | 87 | 277 | |
| 7 |  Arantxa Sánchez Vicario (ESP)
|
Feb 6, 1995 | Feb 19, 1995 | 2 | 2 |
| Steffi Graf (5)
|
Feb 20, 1995 | Feb 26, 1995 | 1 | 278 | |
| Arantxa Sánchez Vicario (2)
|
Feb 27, 1995 | Apr 9, 1995 | 6 | 8 | |
| Steffi Graf (6)
|
Apr 10, 1995 | May 14, 1995 | 5 | 283 | |
| Arantxa Sánchez Vicario (3)
|
May 15, 1995 | Jun 11, 1995 | 4 | 12 | |
| Steffi Graf (7)
|
Jun 12, 1995 | Aug 14, 1995 | 9 | 292 | |
| Steffi Graf (7)
|
Aug 15, 1995 | Nov 3, 1996 | 64 | 356 | |
| Monica Seles[n 1] (4)
|
177 | ||||
| Steffi Graf (7)
|
Nov 4, 1996 | Nov 17, 1996 | 2 | 358 | |
| Steffi Graf (7)
|
Nov 18, 1996 | Nov 24, 1996 | 1 | 359 | |
| Monica Seles (5)
|
178 | ||||
| Steffi Graf (7)
|
Nov 25, 1996 | Mar 30, 1997 | 18 | 377
| |
| 8 |  Martina Hingis (SUI)
|
Mar 31, 1997 | Oct 11, 1998 | 80 | 80 |
| 9 | Lindsay Davenport (USA)
|
Oct 12, 1998 | Feb 7, 1999 | 17 | 17 |
| Martina Hingis (2)
|
Feb 8, 1999 | Jul 4, 1999 | 21 | 101 | |
| Lindsay Davenport (2)
|
Jul 5, 1999 | Aug 8, 1999 | 5 | 22 | |
| Martina Hingis (3)
|
Aug 9, 1999 | Apr 2, 2000 | 34 | 135 | |
| Lindsay Davenport (3)
|
Apr 3, 2000 | May 7, 2000 | 5 | 27 | |
| Martina Hingis (4)
|
May 8, 2000 | May 14, 2000 | 1 | 136 | |
| Lindsay Davenport (4)
|
May 15, 2000 | May 21, 2000 | 1 | 28 | |
| Martina Hingis (5)
|
May 22, 2000 | Oct 14, 2001 | 73 | 209 | |
| 10 | Jennifer Capriati (USA)
|
Oct 15, 2001 | Nov 4, 2001 | 3 | 3 |
| Lindsay Davenport (5)
|
Nov 5, 2001 | Jan 13, 2002 | 10 | 38 | |
| Jennifer Capriati (2)
|
Jan 14, 2002 | Feb 24, 2002 | 6 | 9 | |
| 11 | Venus Williams (USA)
|
Feb 25, 2002 | Mar 17, 2002 | 3 | 3 |
| Jennifer Capriati (3)
|
Mar 18, 2002 | Apr 21, 2002 | 5 | 14 | |
| Venus Williams (2)
|
Apr 22, 2002 | May 19, 2002 | 4 | 7 | |
| Jennifer Capriati (4)
|
May 20, 2002 | Jun 9, 2002 | 3 | 17 | |
| Venus Williams (3)
|
Jun 10, 2002 | Jul 7, 2002 | 4 | 11 | |
| 12 | Serena Williams (USA)
|
Jul 8, 2002 | Aug 10, 2003 | 57 | 57 |
| 13 |  Kim Clijsters (BEL)
|
Aug 11, 2003 | Oct 19, 2003 | 10 | 10 |
| 14 | Justine Henin (BEL)
|
Oct 20, 2003 | Oct 26, 2003 | 1 | 1 |
| Kim Clijsters (2)
|
Oct 27, 2003 | Nov 9, 2003 | 2 | 12 | |
| Justine Henin (2)
|
Nov 10, 2003 | Sep 12, 2004 | 44 | 45 | |
| 15 |  Amélie Mauresmo (FRA)
|
Sep 13, 2004 | Oct 17, 2004 | 5 | 5 |
| Lindsay Davenport (6)
|
Oct 18, 2004 | Aug 21, 2005 | 44 | 82 | |
| 16 |  Maria Sharapova (RUS)
|
Aug 22, 2005 | Aug 28, 2005 | 1 | 1 |
| Lindsay Davenport (7)
|
Aug 29, 2005 | Sep 11, 2005 | 2 | 84 | |
| Maria Sharapova (2)
|
Sep 12, 2005 | Oct 23, 2005 | 6 | 7 | |
| Lindsay Davenport (8)
|
Oct 24, 2005 | Jan 29, 2006 | 14 | 98 | |
| Kim Clijsters (3)
|
Jan 30, 2006 | Mar 19, 2006 | 7 | 19 | |
| Amélie Mauresmo (2)
|
Mar 20, 2006 | Nov 12, 2006 | 34 | 39 | |
| Justine Henin (3)
|
Nov 13, 2006 | Jan 28, 2007 | 11 | 56 | |
| Maria Sharapova (3)
|
Jan 29, 2007 | Mar 18, 2007 | 7 | 14 | |
| Justine Henin (4)
|
Mar 19, 2007 | May 18, 2008 | 61 | 117 | |
| Maria Sharapova (4)
|
May 19, 2008 | Jun 8, 2008 | 3 | 17 | |
| 17 |  Ana Ivanovic (SRB)
|
Jun 9, 2008 | Aug 10, 2008 | 9 | 9 |
| 18 | Jelena Janković (SRB)
|
Aug 11, 2008 | Aug 17, 2008 | 1 | 1 |
| Ana Ivanovic (2)
|
Aug 18, 2008 | Sep 7, 2008 | 3 | 12 | |
| Serena Williams (2)
|
Sep 8, 2008 | Oct 5, 2008 | 4 | 61 | |
| Jelena Janković (2)
|
Oct 6, 2008 | Feb 1, 2009 | 17 | 18 | |
| Serena Williams (3)
|
Feb 2, 2009 | Apr 19, 2009 | 11 | 72 | |
| 19 | Dinara Safina (RUS)
|
Apr 20, 2009 | Oct 11, 2009 | 25 | 25 |
| Serena Williams (4)
|
Oct 12, 2009 | Oct 25, 2009 | 2 | 74 | |
| Dinara Safina (2)
|
Oct 26, 2009 | Nov 1, 2009 | 1 | 26 | |
| Serena Williams (5)
|
Nov 2, 2009 | Oct 10, 2010 | 49 | 123 | |
| 20 |  Caroline Wozniacki (DEN)
|
Oct 11, 2010 | Feb 13, 2011 | 18 | 18 |
| Kim Clijsters (4)
|
Feb 14, 2011 | Feb 20, 2011 | 1 | 20 | |
| Caroline Wozniacki (2)
|
Feb 21, 2011 | Jan 29, 2012 | 49 | 67 | |
| 21 |  Victoria Azarenka (BLR)
|
Jan 30, 2012 | Jun 10, 2012 | 19 | 19 |
| Maria Sharapova (5)
|
Jun 11, 2012 | Jul 8, 2012 | 4 | 21 | |
| Victoria Azarenka (2)
|
Jul 9, 2012 | Feb 17, 2013 | 32 | 51 | |
| Serena Williams (6)
|
Feb 18, 2013 | Sep 11, 2016 | 186
|
309 | |
| 22 | Angelique Kerber (GER)
|
Sep 12, 2016 | Jan 29, 2017 | 20 | 20 |
| Serena Williams (7)
|
Jan 30, 2017 | Mar 19, 2017 | 7 | 316 | |
| Angelique Kerber (2)
|
Mar 20, 2017 | Apr 23, 2017 | 5 | 25 | |
| Serena Williams (8)
|
Apr 24, 2017 | May 14, 2017 | 3 | 319 | |
| Angelique Kerber (3)
|
May 15, 2017 | Jul 16, 2017 | 9 | 34 | |
| 23 |  Karolína Plíšková (CZE)
|
Jul 17, 2017 | Sep 10, 2017 | 8 | 8 |
| 24 | Garbiñe Muguruza (ESP)
|
Sep 11, 2017 | Oct 8, 2017 | 4 | 4 |
| 25 |  Simona Halep (ROU)
|
Oct 9, 2017 | Jan 28, 2018 | 16 | 16 |
| Caroline Wozniacki (3)
|
Jan 29, 2018 | Feb 25, 2018 | 4 | 71 | |
| Simona Halep (2)
|
Feb 26, 2018 | Jan 27, 2019 | 48 | 64 | |
| 26 |  Naomi Osaka (JPN)
|
Jan 28, 2019 | Jun 23, 2019 | 21 | 21 |
| 27 | Ashleigh Barty (AUS)
|
Jun 24, 2019 | Aug 11, 2019 | 7 | 7 |
| Naomi Osaka (2)
|
Aug 12, 2019 | Sep 8, 2019 | 4 | 25 | |
| Ashleigh Barty (2)
|
Sep 9, 2019 | Mar 22, 2020 | 28 | 35 | |
Rankings frozen
|
Mar 23, 2020 | Aug 9, 2020 | 20 | ||
| Ashleigh Barty (2)
|
Aug 10, 2020 | Apr 3, 2022 | 86 | 121 | |
| 28 |  Iga Świątek (POL)
|
Apr 4, 2022 | Present | 25 | 25 |
- Note
- ^ a b Monica Seles was stabbed by a spectator during a WTA tournament match on 30 April 1993; while ranked number one. When she returned to competition in 1995, the WTA decided to reinstate her alongside Graf as number one, with her ranking protected for a year until she had a full season of ranking points accrued.[3]
Weeks at No. 1[edit]
Weeks are updated automatically.[4][5]
The source for this through the week of January 2, 2012, is the 2012 WTA Tour Official Guide, page 177.[1]
Weeks at No. 1 leaders timeline[edit]
| Year span | Leader | Date achieved | Duration | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975–1985 | Chris Evert
|
3 November 1975 | 9 years, 6 months | 238 |
| 1985–1985 | Martina Navratilova
|
27 May 1985 | 0 months | 240 |
| 1985–1986 | Chris Evert
|
24 June 1985 | 9 months | 260 |
| 1986–1996 | Martina Navratilova
|
31 March 1986 | 10 years, 1 month | 332 |
| 1996–present | Steffi Graf
|
21 May 1996 | 26 years, 3 months | 377 |
Current record in bold.
Year-end No. 1 players[edit]
The source for this through to 2012 is the 2012 WTA Tour Official Guide, page 178.[1]
By year[edit]
|
By year (continued)[edit]
|
Per player[edit]
|
|
Players who became No. 1 without having won a Grand Slam title[edit]
| Player | First ranked No. 1 | First Grand Slam final | First Grand Slam title |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kim Clijsters
|
August 11, 2003 | 2001 French Open (June 2001) (1st of 8) | 2005 US Open (1st of 4, retired in 2022) |
| Amélie Mauresmo
|
September 13, 2004 | 1999 Australian Open (January 1999) (1st of 3) | 2006 Australian Open (1st of 2, retired in 2009) |
 Jelena Janković
|
August 11, 2008 | 2008 US Open (September 2008) (only final) | None (retired in 2017) |
| Dinara Safina
|
April 20, 2009 | 2008 French Open (June 2008) (1st of 3) | None (retired in 2014) |
| Caroline Wozniacki
|
October 11, 2010 | 2009 US Open (September 2009) (1st of 3) | 2018 Australian Open (only title, retired in 2020) |
| Karolína Plíšková
|
July 17, 2017 | 2016 US Open (September 2016) (1st of 2) | None (still active) |
| Simona Halep
|
October 9, 2017 | 2014 French Open (June 2014) (1st of 5) | 2018 French Open (1st of 2, still active) |
Weeks at No. 1 by decade[edit]
1970s*[edit]* — Starting November 1975
1980s[edit]
1990s[edit]
2000s[edit]
|
2010s[edit]
2020s[edit]WTA rankings were frozen from March 23, 2020 to August 9, 2020.
|
Weeks at No. 1 by country[edit]
- Current No. 1 player indicated in bold.
| # | Country | Total | Players | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | Weeks | |||
| 1 | United States |
8 | 1,123 | Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Tracy Austin, Monica Seles*, Lindsay Davenport, Jennifer Capriati, Venus Williams, Serena Williams |
| 2 | Germany |
2 | 411 | Steffi Graf, Angelique Kerber |
| 3 | Switzerland |
1 | 209 | Martina Hingis |
| 4 | // Yugoslavia/Serbia |
3 | 143 | Monica Seles*, Ana Ivanovic, Jelena Janković |
| 5 | Belgium |
2 | 137 | Kim Clijsters, Justine Henin |
| 6 | Australia |
2 | 123 | Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Ashleigh Barty |
| 7 | Denmark |
1 | 71 | Caroline Wozniacki |
| 8 | Romania |
1 | 64 | Simona Halep |
| 9 | Belarus |
1 | 51 | Victoria Azarenka |
| 10 | Russia |
2 | 47 | Maria Sharapova, Dinara Safina |
| 11 | France |
1 | 39 | Amélie Mauresmo |
| 12 | Japan |
1 | 25 | Naomi Osaka |
| Poland |
1 | 25 | Iga Świątek | |
| 14 | Spain |
2 | 16 | Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, Garbiñe Muguruza |
| 15 | Czech Republic |
1 | 8 | Karolína Plíšková |
Weeks are updated automatically.
* Monica Seles is included twice due to change of citizenship.
See also[edit]
- World number 1 ranked female tennis players (includes rankings before 1975)
- ITF World Champions
- List of WTA number 1 ranked doubles tennis players
- List of ATP number 1 ranked singles tennis players
- List of ATP number 1 ranked doubles tennis players
- Current WTA rankings
- List of WTA players who were ranked number 5 or higher but never number 1
- Top ten ranked female tennis players
- Top ten ranked female tennis players (1921–1974)
- List of highest ranked tennis players per country
References[edit]
- ^ a b c "2012 WTA Media Guide" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 15, 2012.
- ^ "WTA Singles Rankings". Archived from the original on February 8, 2014. Retrieved March 2, 2014.
- ^ "Seles is back in the limelight". The Irish Times. June 26, 1996. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
- ^ "WTA Press Center – Weeks at No. 1". Archived from the original on November 3, 2012.
- ^ "WTA Notes & Netcords". Archived from the original on January 17, 2012.
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| Grand Slam |
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| Men's |
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| Women's |
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