WTA Rankings: Aryna Sabalenka’s stunning world No 1 feat only 9 women can match
Aryna Sabalenka has maintained her world No 1 status throughout 2025, with the 27-year-old remaining ahead of her closest rivals throughout the season.
The Belarusian has won more titles than any other woman on tour and, alongside an overall total of 60 weeks as the world No 1, has now spent 52 straight weeks at the top.
Impressively, Sabalenka is now just the 10th woman in WTA history to spend a full year as the world No 1, joining a group of tennis icons at the very forefront of the record books.
Aryna Sabalenka – 52 weeks*
After an eight-week reign from September – November 2023, Sabalenka regained the world No 1 ranking last October and has held onto the top spot ever since.
The Belarusian’s 52 straight weeks as the world No 1 has seen her win her fourth major title at the US Open, alongside further finals at the Australian Open and French Open.
Sabalenka is in pole position to end 2025 as the year-end No 1, potentially extending her reign further.
Justine Henin – 61 weeks
Seven-time Grand Slam champion Henin spent 117 weeks as the WTA world No 1 across four separate spells, with her longest period lasting for 61 weeks.
The Belgian regained her status at the top of the sport in March 2007 and remained at No 1 until May 2008, when she announced her shock retirement from the sport.
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Iga Swiatek – 75 weeks
Only six women can better Swiatek’s overall total of 125 weeks atop the WTA Rankings, consisting of two spells of 75 weeks and 50 weeks, respectively.
The Pole’s longest spell at the top was her debut spell, beginning during her 37-match win streak in April 2022 and lasting until September 2023 — when Sabalenka first replaced her.
Martina Hingis – 80 & 73 weeks
Hingis’ 209 weeks as the world No 1 is the fifth most of any woman on the WTA Rankings, and she had two separate spells of over 52 weeks at the very top of the game.
The Swiss spent 80 consecutive weeks as the No 1 from March 1997 to October 1998, and then another lengthy reign of 73 weeks from May 2000 to October 2001.
Monica Seles – 91 & 64 weeks
With 178 weeks in total, tennis icon Seles is another star with multiple lengthy spells as the world No 1, with two periods of 52+ weeks to her name.
After battling Steffi Graf for the world No 1 ranking across most of 1991, Seles reigned for 91 weeks from September 1991 to June 1993, by which time she was absent due to her stabbing earlier that year.
Seles was reinstated as co-world No 1 alongside Graf in August 1995 and jointly held that ranking for 64 weeks until November 1996.
Chris Evert – 113 & 76 weeks
The first woman to ever be ranked as the world No 1, 18-time Grand Slam singles champion Evert had two separate spells lasting over one year.
Evert was No 1 for 113 straight weeks from May 1976 to July 1978 at the very peak of her powers, and later spent 76 straight weeks atop the WTA Rankings from November 1980 to May 1982.
Ashleigh Barty – 114 weeks
The best player in the immediate run-up to the Swiatek-Sabalenka Era, Barty spent 114 of her total of 121 weeks as the world No 1 consecutively.
Aided slightly by the WTA Rankings freeze and adjusted points system across 2020 and 2021, Barty was world No 1 from September 2019 until April 2022, by which time she had retired.
Martina Navratilova – 156 & 90 weeks
Only one woman can top Navratilova’s total of 332 weeks as the world No 1, and the tennis icon had two separate spells lasting well over a year at the top.
Her longest spell lasted a staggering 156 weeks, spending three straight years as the world No 1 at the peak of her powers between June 1982 and June 1985.
She would then spend 90 weeks at the top from November 1985 to August 1987, her ninth and last spell at the top of the WTA Rankings.
Serena Williams – 186 & 57 weeks
Williams spent a staggering 319 weeks as the world No 1 across her career, including a joint record of 186 straight weeks atop the WTA Rankings at her very peak.
The American reigned from February 2013 to September 2016 during a dominant spell on tour, the sixth of her eight separate periods as the world No 1.
Williams also spent 57 weeks atop the WTA Rankings when she first debuted as the No 1 in July 2002, reigning until August 2003.
Steffi Graf – 186, 94, & 87 weeks
Graf’s 377 weeks as world No 1 are the most of any woman, and she spent three separate spells of 52+ weeks atop the WTA Rankings across her legendary career.
The German spent a staggering 186 consecutive weeks at the top from her debut in August 1987 to March 1991, a record that Williams would match over two decades later.
She also spent 94 weeks at No 1 from June 1995 to March 1997, and 87 consecutive weeks from June 1993 to February 1995.
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