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Women’s tennis: That number one spot
11:13pm UK, Monday October 19, 2009
Women’s tennis may well have been given the kiss of life by Kim Clijsters’ return to action.
With Justine Henin set to follow suit next year, the future of WTA tennis looks brighter than it has done for some time.
The number one ranking has been changing hands at a ferocious pace over the last 18 months. But who’s been top and when? Find out in our WTA ranking timeline.
14 May 2008
World number one Justine Henin announces her retirement from Tennis
19 May 2008
Maria Sharapova claims the top ranking
9 June 2008
Ana Ivanovic reaches number one in the world after winning her first Grand Slam at Roland Garros
11 August 2008
Jelena Jankovic becomes the second Serb to hold the top spot just two months later
18 August 2008
But Jankovic is knocked back off the top spot just a week later by Ivanovic
8 September 2008
After winning the US Open title, Serena Williams becomes the world number one
6 October 2008
Jankovic regains the top spot and ends the year as number one
2 February 2009
After securing the Australian Open title, Serena Williams regains the top ranking
20 April 2009
Russian Dinara Safina becomes number one in the world despite never having won a Grand Slam
13 September 2009
Kim Clijsters wins the US Open becoming the first wild card entry to ever lift the trophy
22 September 2009
Justine Henin announces that she will be returning to the WTA circuit next year
6 October 2009
Serena Williams overtakes Dinara Safina to reclaim the top ranking for the fourth time
I cannot stand to watch Serena Williams any longer. The WTA should be ashamed that they have not disciplined her or suspended her by now. On the world’s center stage a professional shouldn’t even think that way let alone handle herself in that outrageous way.
What do you say WTA?
Serena is great! Do you know how many horrible calls she’s gotten over the years, with the 2006 Capriotti match leading to the imposition of player challenges and Hawkeye because they were so bad against Serena. If I were she, I’d be incredibly pissed, too!
And who are these linespeople anyway? The gal who nuked Serena at the US Open looked like a little chinese grandma–shuffling around in that oversized windbreaker. It was ridiculous. Who was that woman? If anyone might be prejudiced against tough, athletic, black women like Serena, it sure seems like that little chinese woman might be.
I think players should be able to challenge umpires and linespeople with tournament officials during matches. They have way too much power. And now there needs to be hawkeye for foot faults. It’s way too easy for these folks to make wrong calls that no one–not even the umpire–can witness and verify. It’s just way too arbitrary.
And now with all the match fixing issues, please tell me that linespeople aren’t implicated, as well. Look at the US Open match with Serena. Just one bogus foot fault call on break point, second serve, determines the match. That’s too much power to not have the umpire be able to overrule the call.
Serena and Venus ARE women’s American Tennis at this point. And I’m proud of them–emotionality and all. Screw the tennis officials when they dont respect the players!