New Delhi [India], August 21 (ANI): Poland star Iga Swiatek topped the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) rankings yet again, which were issued on Tuesday, tying with Belgian great Justine Henin for spending 117 weeks overall at the top of the charts.
The five-time Grand Slam champion has equalled with record set by Henin in the 2000s and is now tied at eighth place for total weeks spent at the top position since the computer rankings were introduced back in 1975.
Swiatek can tie with Ashleigh Barty (in seventh place with 121 weeks) if she continues at the top for the next month or so. Only six players have spent more weeks at the top spot than Barty: Monica Seles (178 weeks), Martina Hingis (209 weeks), Chris Evert (260 weeks), Serena Williams (319 weeks), Martina Navratilova (332 weeks) and Stefanie Graf (377 weeks), as per WTA.
Swiaek, who also levelled with Henin’s tally of four French Open titles this year, reached the top spot at the age of 19 in April 2022. At the recently concluded Paris Olympics, Swiatek secured the bronze medal, defeating Slovakia’s Anna Karolina 6-2, 6-1.
Seven-time grand slam winner Henin first secured the top spot back in October 2003 at the age of 21, the year she won her two first major titles, the French Open and the US Open. At the age of 26, she notched her 117th and final week at the number one spot in May 2008. This was the month she retired for the first time, before calling curtains on her career once and for all in 2011.
Also, a shoulder injury forced Aryna Sabalenka to withdraw from Wimbledon and slip to number three in the rankings. After returning, the Australian Open champion lost to players outside the top 30, Marie Bouzkova and Amanda Anisimova — in Washington and Toronto respectively. But with a Cincinnati Open title win this month, Sabalenka captured her 15th career title and returned to world number two spot.
Jessica Pegula remains at number six this week, having been sidelined during the clay season due to health issues. Her form after her return was inconsistent. Though she secured a grass court title in Berlin, the second-round exits in Hertogenbosch, Eastbourne, Wimbledon and the Paris Olympic Games put a heavy dent on her resume. She later on put together a nine-match winning streak, backing up her Toronto Open title win two weeks back with a runners-up finish in the Cincinnati Open.
The hard courts in North America have also helped former number two Paula Badosa, who faced a back injury that caused her to miss the second half of 2023, making her slip down to number 140 in May. Her semifinal run in the Cincinnati Open last week has helped her climb 10 places to reach number 27.
Badosa will be heading into the US Open, starting from August 26, having won 20 of her past 26 matches. (ANI)
