The 7 women with shortest reigns as WTA world No 1: Venus Williams with 11 weeks, Aryna Sabalenka joint-third
Iga Swiatek has rightfully been attracting plaudits this week after her 122nd week as the WTA world No 1 – a total that puts her seventh in the all-time list of most weeks at the top.
However, not every woman who has reached the top spot has been able to hold on to the No 1 ranking for as long as the Pole has; for some, their stay was short – but sweet.
Here, we look at the seven women who, to date, are the shortest reigning singles world No 1’s on the WTA Tour.
=6) Arantxa Sanchez Vicario – 12 weeks
Sanchez Vicario was undoubtedly one of the greatest and most accomplished stars of the 1990s.
The Spaniard won an impressive four Grand Slam singles titles and reached a further eight finals, though would have likely won more had she not been up against the likes of Steffi Graf and Monica Seles.
The reigning French and US Open winner, she finally rose to world No 1 for the first time in February 1995 and jostled for the top position with Graf over the next four months.
Her 12th and final week as No 1 came in June, with the German usurping her for the final time after prevailing in the French Open final between the two.
=6) Ana Ivanovic – 12 weeks
Ivanovic is best remembered for her French Open triumph in 2008, defeating Dinara Safina to win her first and only major title.
That run, coupled with reaching the Australian Open final, saw her become the first Serbian – male or female – to occupy the top spot in the world rankings.
Ivanovic did not find her best form as the world No 1 and in August 2008 was briefly dislodged by compatriot Jelena Jankovic, though regained the top spot just one week later.
However, her early US Open exit meant she lost the No 1 ranking for the final time post-tournament.
5) Venus Williams – 11 weeks
A winner of five Wimbledon titles, two US Open titles, and a former Australian Open and French Open runner-up, Williams is a bonafide tennis icon.
However, largely due to competing in an era featuring some all-time greats of the sport – most notably her sister Serena – she reigned as the world No 1 for just 11 weeks.
Williams first rose to No 1 in February 2002 though held the top spot for just three weeks, before she was dislodged by previous incumbent Jennifer Capriati.
She and Capriati exchanged the top ranking twice more that summer before Williams was knocked off the top spot for the final time by Serena – after the latter’s 2002 Wimbledon win.
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=3) Karolina Pliskova – Eight weeks
One of the greatest players to never win a Grand Slam title, Pliskova reached two major finals – though being ranked as world No 1 may be her greatest achievement.
She is the only woman representing Czechia to have ever been No 1 in the WTA singles rankings, rising to the top spot in July 2017.
Pliskova then reigned throughout the summer though, after failing to defend her US Open final points, her eight-week reign ended that September.
=3) Aryna Sabalenka – Eight weeks
Sabalenka could well find herself off this list soon, with a return to No 1 looking possible across the remainder of the 2024 season.
After winning the Australian Open title in 2023, the Belarusian went on to reach the US Open final a year ago – a run that cemented her rise to the top.
The 26-year-old spent eight weeks as the No 1 and so nearly sealed the year-end No 1 ranking, only for Iga Swiatek to dislodge her at the end of the season thanks to her WTA Finals triumph.
2) Garbine Muguruza – Four weeks
Muguruza, who confirmed her retirement earlier this year, is the shortest-reigning WTA No 1 of the 21st century thanks to her short spell at the top in 2017.
After struggles earlier in the season, Wimbledon and Cincinnati Open runs propelled her back towards the top, and she became Spain’s second WTA No 1 thanks to results falling her way at the US Open.
Muguruza held the top spot for just under a month until early October 2018, when she was knocked off the top by Simona Halep.
1) Evonne Goolagong – Two weeks
Tennis icon Goolagong holds a unique place in tennis history as the one player to have been world No 1 without realising it at the time.
The Australian retired having initially peaked at world No 2 during her playing career – but all that changed suddenly in 2007.
After a 31-year wait, it was confirmed that a points miscalculation had occurred for two weeks across April and May 1976, and that Goolagong should have been recognised as the world No 1.
She was retroactively awarded those two weeks, making her the shortest-reigning WTA No 1 in history.
