World number 1 ranked female tennis players
World number 1 ranked female tennis players is a year-by-year listing of the female tennis players who were ranked as world No. 1 by various contemporary and modern sources.
Notes:
- The Women's Tennis Association introduced a computerized ranking system in November 1975, which is incorporated into this list.
- The International Tennis Federation's year-end number 1 classification that was introduced in 1978 is no longer named as such, and has evolved into the ITF World Champion designation and award.
- The Women's Tennis Association has awarded a WTA Player of the Year award each year since 1977.
List of No. 1 ranked players
Pre-1920: National rankings; few sources available
Year | Sources and notes |
---|---|
1883 | Maud Watson:
|
1884 | Maud Watson:
|
1885 | Maud Watson:
|
1886 | Maud Watson:
|
1887 | Lottie Dod:
|
1888 | Lottie Dod:
|
1889 | Lottie Dod:
|
1890 | Louisa Martin:
|
1891 | Lottie Dod:
|
1892 | Lottie Dod:
|
1893 | Lottie Dod:
|
1894 | Blanche Bingley:
|
1895 | Louisa Martin:
|
1896 | Blanche Bingley Hillyard, Louisa Martin:
|
1897 | Charlotte Cooper, Blanche Bingley Hillyard:
|
1898 | Charlotte Cooper:
|
1899 | Blanche Bingley Hillyard:
Louisa Martin:
|
1900 | Blanche Bingley Hillyard:
|
1901 | Charlotte Cooper Sterry:
|
1902 | Muriel Robb:
Charlotte Cooper Sterry:
|
1903 | Dorothea Douglass:
Louisa Martin:
|
1904 | Dorothea Douglass:
|
1905 | May Sutton:
|
1906 | Dorothea Douglass:
|
1909 | May Sutton:
|
1921–1967: The Amateur Era
Year | No. 1 player | Sources and notes |
---|---|---|
1921 | Suzanne Lenglen (FRA) | Lenglen:
|
1922 | Suzanne Lenglen (FRA) | Lenglen:
|
1923 | Suzanne Lenglen (FRA) | Lenglen:
|
1924 | Suzanne Lenglen (FRA) | Lenglen:
|
1925 | Suzanne Lenglen (FRA) | Lenglen:
|
1926 | Suzanne Lenglen (FRA) | Lenglen:
|
1927 | Helen Wills (USA) | Wills:
|
1928 | Helen Wills (USA) | Wills:
|
1929 | Helen Wills (USA) | Wills:
|
1930 | Helen Wills Moody (USA) | Wills Moody:
|
1931 | Helen Wills Moody (USA) | Wills Moody:
|
1932 | Helen Wills Moody (USA) | Wills Moody:
|
1933 | Helen Wills Moody (USA) | Wills Moody:
Jacobs: |
1934 | Helen Jacobs (USA)
Dorothy Round (UK) |
Jacobs:
Round:
|
1935 | Helen Wills Moody (USA) | Moody:
|
1936 | Helen Jacobs (USA) | Jacobs:
Krahwinkel Sperling:
|
1937 | Anita Lizana (CHI) Dorothy Round (UK) |
Lizana:
Round:
|
1938 | Helen Wills Moody (USA) | Wills Moody
|
1939 | Alice Marble (USA) | Marble:
|
1940–
1945 |
none (World War II) | The United States Lawn Tennis Association continued to rank U.S. players during the war years:
|
1946 | Pauline Betz (USA) | Betz:
|
1947 | Louise Brough (USA)
Margaret Osborne duPont (USA) |
Brough:
Osborne duPont:
|
1948 | Louise Brough (USA)
Margaret Osborne duPont (USA) |
Brough:
Osborne duPont:
|
1949 | Margaret Osborne duPont (USA) | Osborne duPont:
|
1950 | Margaret Osborne duPont (USA) | Osborne duPont:
|
1951 | Doris Hart (USA) | Hart:
|
1952 | Maureen Connolly (USA) | Connolly:
|
1953 | Maureen Connolly (USA) | Connolly:
|
1954 | Maureen Connolly (USA) | Connolly:
|
1955 | Louise Brough (USA)
Doris Hart (USA) |
Brough:
Hart:
|
1956 | Shirley Fry (USA) | Fry:
|
1957 | Althea Gibson (USA) | Gibson:
|
1958 | Althea Gibson (USA) | Gibson:
|
1959 | Maria Bueno (BRA) | Bueno:
|
1960 | Maria Bueno (BRA) | Bueno:
|
1961 | Darlene Hard (USA) Angela Mortimer (UK) |
Hard:
Mortimer:
|
1962 | Margaret Smith (AUS) | Smith:
|
1963 | Margaret Smith (AUS) | Smith:
|
1964 | Maria Bueno (BRA)
Margaret Smith (AUS) |
Bueno:
Smith:
|
1965 | Margaret Court (AUS) | Court:
|
1966 | Maria Bueno (BRA)
Billie Jean King (USA) |
Bueno:
King:
|
1967 | Billie Jean King (USA) | King:
|
1968–present: The Open Era
Year | No. 1 player | Sources and notes |
---|---|---|
1968 | Billie Jean King (USA) | King:
|
1969 | Margaret Court (AUS) | Court:
|
1970 | Margaret Court (AUS) | Court:
|
1971 | Evonne Goolagong (AUS)
Billie Jean King (USA) |
Goolagong:
King:
|
1972 | Billie Jean King (USA) | King:
|
1973 | Margaret Court (AUS) | Court:
|
1974 | Chris Evert (USA)
Billie Jean King (USA) |
Evert:
King:
|
1975 | Chris Evert (USA) | Evert:
|
1976 | Chris Evert (USA) | Evert:
|
1977 | Chris Evert (USA)
Virginia Wade (UK) |
Evert:
Wade: |
1978 | Chris Evert (USA)
Martina Navratilova (USA) |
Evert:
Navratilova:
|
1979 | Chris Evert (USA)
Martina Navratilova (USA) |
Evert:
Navratilova:
|
1980 | Tracy Austin (USA)
Chris Evert (USA) |
Austin:
Evert:
|
1981 | Tracy Austin (USA)
Chris Evert (USA) |
Austin:
Evert:
|
1982 | Martina Navratilova (USA) | Navratilova:
|
1983 | Martina Navratilova (USA) | Navratilova:
|
1984 | Martina Navratilova (USA) | Navratilova:
|
1985 | Martina Navratilova (USA) | Navratilova:
|
1986 | Martina Navratilova (USA) | Navratilova:
|
1987 | Steffi Graf (FRG)
Martina Navratilova (USA) |
Graf:
Navratilova:
|
1988 | Steffi Graf (FRG) | Graf:
|
1989 | Steffi Graf (FRG) | Graf:
|
1990 | Steffi Graf (GER) Monica Seles (YUG) |
Graf:
Seles:
|
1991 | Monica Seles (YUG) | Seles:
|
1992 | Monica Seles (YUG) | Seles:
|
1993 | Steffi Graf (GER) | Graf:
|
1994 | Steffi Graf (GER)
Arantxa Sánchez Vicario (ESP) |
Graf:
Sánchez Vicario:
|
1995 | Steffi Graf (GER)
Monica Seles (USA) |
Graf:
Seles:
|
1996 | Steffi Graf (GER) | Graf:
|
1997 | Martina Hingis (SUI) | Hingis:
|
1998 | Lindsay Davenport (USA) | Davenport:
|
1999 | Lindsay Davenport (USA)
Martina Hingis (SUI) |
Davenport:
Hingis:
|
2000 | Martina Hingis (SUI)
Venus Williams (USA) |
Hingis:
V. Williams:
|
2001 | Jennifer Capriati (USA)
Lindsay Davenport (USA) |
Capriati:
Davenport:
|
2002 | Serena Williams (USA) | S. Williams:
|
2003 | Justine Henin (BEL) | Henin:
|
2004 | Lindsay Davenport (USA)
Anastasia Myskina (RUS) Maria Sharapova (RUS) |
Davenport:
Myskina:
Sharapova:
|
2005 | Kim Clijsters (BEL)
Lindsay Davenport (USA) |
Clijsters:
Davenport:
|
2006 | Justine Henin (BEL)
Amélie Mauresmo (FRA) |
Henin:
Mauresmo:
|
2007 | Justine Henin (BEL) | Henin:
|
2008 | Jelena Janković (SRB)
Serena Williams (USA) |
Janković:
S. Williams:
|
2009 | Serena Williams (USA) | S. Williams:
|
2010 | Kim Clijsters (BEL)
Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) |
Clijsters:
Wozniacki:
|
2011 | Petra Kvitová (CZE)
Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) |
Kvitová:
Wozniacki:
|
2012 | Victoria Azarenka (BLR)
Serena Williams (USA) |
Azarenka:
S. Williams:
|
2013 | Serena Williams (USA) | S. Williams:
|
2014 | Serena Williams (USA) | S. Williams:
|
2015 | Serena Williams (USA) | S. Williams:
|
2016 | Angelique Kerber (GER) | Kerber:
|
2017 | Simona Halep (ROM)
Garbiñe Muguruza (ESP) |
Halep:
Muguruza:
|
2018 | Simona Halep (ROM) | Halep:
|
2019 | Ashleigh Barty (AUS) | Barty:
|
2020 | Ashleigh Barty (AUS)
Sofia Kenin (USA) |
Barty:
Kenin:
|
2021 | Ashleigh Barty (AUS) | Barty:
|
2022 | Iga Swiatek (POL) | Swiatek:
|
2023 | Aryna Sabalenka
Iga Swiatek (POL) |
Sabalenka:
Swiatek:
|