The 16 WTA year-end world No 1s: ft Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Serena Williams

It’s official: Aryna Sabalenka will finish 2024 as the WTA year-end No 1.

This achievement caps off a hugely successful year for Sabalenka, who has won two Grand Slam titles and cemented her place as a great of the sport in recent months.

The 26-year-old is the 16th woman to finish a season as the year-end No 1; here, we take a look at all of them.

Chris Evert: 1975-77, 1980-81

The first world No 1 in WTA history, 18-time major champion Evert was also the first woman to be a year-end No 1 – a feat she achieved on five occasions.

Evert finished 1975 – the first year of the WTA Rankings – as the world No 1, and was still top of the rankings by the end of 1976 and 1977.

After being usurped by key rival Martina Navratilova for two years, Evert returned to finish both 1980 and 1981 as the best player in the world.

Martina Navratilova: 1978-79, 1982-86

Only one woman can top Navratilova’s haul of seven year-end No 1 finishes, with the 18-time Grand Slam winner dominant across the late 1970s and mid-1980s.

The American first rose to No 1 in 1978 and finished that year atop the rankings, also finishing 1979 as the world No 1.

Navratilova then went on an unprecedented run of five straight seasons sealing the year-end No 1 position, claiming that mantle every year from 1982 to 1986.

Steffi Graf: 1987-90, 1993-96

Graf holds the record for most year-end No 1 finishes of any woman, achieving that feat eight times across a span of 10 seasons.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion first rose to world No 1 in 1987 and did not lose the top ranking until 1991, finishing every season from 1987 to 1990 as the year-end No 1.

She then regained the No 1 ranking in 1993 and, despite some tussles, managed to seal the year-end ranking for four consecutive seasons – with her final year coming in 1996.

Monica Seles: 1991-92, 1995

The dominant force of the early 1990s, nine-time Grand Slam winner Seles managed to seal the year-end ranking three times across her career.

Seles toppled Graf to move to world No 1 in 1991 and proceeded to finish that season at the top, before holding onto world No 1 across the entirety of 1992.

When she returned in 1995 after a two-year break following her attack, the WTA reinstated her as No 1, allowing her to finish that season as joint No 1 alongside Graf.

Martina Hingis: 1997, 1999-2000

The youngest year-end No 1 in WTA history, Hingis finished three seasons at the top of the WTA Rankings.

Five-time Grand Slam singles champion Hingis ended her dominant 1997 as the year-end No 1 after winning three majors, though was knocked off the top toward the end of 1998.

However, she regained the year-end No 1 position in 1999 to end the millennium as the best WTA player in the world, and then sealed back-to-back finishes in 2007.

Lindsay Davenport: 1998, 2001, 2004, 2005

A major figure on the WTA across the late 1990s and early 2000s, former world No 1 Davenport was the year-end No 1 on four separate occasions.

Davenport first sealed the year-end No 1 in 1998, shortly after winning her first Slam at the US Open, and then returned to finish 2001 as the No 1 player in the world.

Despite not adding to her three singles majors, the American’s consistency also saw her capture the year-end No 1 spot in 2004 and 2004.

Serena Williams: 2002, 2009, 2013-15

The woman to win the most Grand Slam singles titles in the Open Era, it is no surprise that 23-time major champion Williams was a year-end No 1 five times.

Williams first sealed the year-end ranking in 2002 amid her first ‘Serena Slam’ and then returned to that mantle seven years later, in 2009.

Amid the most dominant spell of her career, the American then claimed three straight year-end No 1 finishes from 2012 to 2014.

Justine Henin: 2003, 2006-2007

A seven-time Grand Slam champion, Henin claimed the year-end No 1 position three times across the mid-2000s.

The Belgian was year-end No 1 for the first time in 2003, the year that saw her win her first two major titles at Roland Garros and the US Open.

Henin then secured back-to-back finishes as the world No 1 in 2006 and 2007, before her sudden retirement in early 2008.

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Jelena Jankovic: 2008

Jankovic holds a unique place in history as the only WTA year-end No 1 to hold that mantle despite never winning a Grand Slam singles title.

The Serbian first rose to world No 1 in the summer of 2008 and then regained that position in October, weeks after reaching the US Open final.

That was enough for Jankovic to seal the year-end ranking, and she reigned until February 2009.

Caroline Wozniacki: 2010-11

Wozniacki spent an impressive 71 weeks as world No 1 across her career and twice sealed the year-end No 1 ranking.

The Dane first rose to world No 1 in October 2010 – becoming the 20th woman to do so – and finished that season atop the rankings.

Wozniacki lost the No 1 ranking early in 2011 but regained it after just a week, and then reigned across the rest of the season to seal back-to-back year-end No 1 finishes.

Victoria Azarenka: 2012

A tally of 51 weeks as world No 1 was enough for two-time Australian Open winner Azarenka to seal the year-end No 1 ranking in 2012.

Alongside winning her first title in Melbourne – which saw her become No 1 – the Belarusian also reached the US Open final and the semi-final of Wimbledon.

The best season of her career saw her finish 2012 atop the rankings, and she held on to the top ranking until February 2023.

Angelique Kerber: 2016

Having ended Williams’ 186-week-long reign atop the WTA Rankings, Kerber’s stunning 2016 season was enough for her to seal the No 1 ranking at the end of the year.

The German won her first major title at the Australian Open and then proceeded to reach the Wimbledon final and triumph at the US Open.

Victory in New York helped her topple Williams at the top, and she did not lose the No 1 ranking until January 2017.

Simona Halep: 2017-18

Romanian star Halep is a two-time Grand Slam champion and also a two-time year-end No 1.

Halep rose to world No 1 for the first time in October 2017 and held onto that position for the remainder of the season.

After losing the No 1 ranking briefly towards the start of 2018, Halep regained her position atop the rankings and a run to her first major title at the French Open helped her finish that season as the world’s best player.

Ashleigh Barty: 2019-21

Barty is one of a select handful of women to finish three consecutive seasons as the year-end No 1.

The Australian first attained the year-end No 1 spot in 2019, following a year that saw her win her first major singles title at the French Open.

A rankings freeze in 2020, due to COVID, saw her hold on to her ranking throughout 2020, while her Wimbledon win in 2021 saw her complete a ‘threepeat’ of year-end No 1 finishes.

Iga Swiatek: 2022-23

Swiatek may have just missed out on the year-end ranking this season, but the Pole has impressively already achieved that feat twice.

A dominant 2022 that saw her win the French and US Open titles, and embark on a 37-match winning streak, saw her become world No 1 for the first time – and finish the year top.

Swiatek was knocked off No 1 by Sabalenka after the US Open last season, though WTA Finals victory saw her regain the ranking at the very end of 2023.

Aryna Sabalenka: 2024

After just missing out in 2023, Sabalenka can finally call herself a year-end No 1.

The Belarusian started the year with an emphatic run to the Australian Open title, and then returned to top form in recent months with US Open, Cincinnati, and Wuhan triumphs.

Her opening two group wins in Riyadh, coupled with Swiatek’s loss, have seen her claim year-end No 1.

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