The 9 women to reach world No 1 or 2 but not win a Grand Slam: ft. Paula Badosa, Ons Jabeur
There are three active players who have reached the top two of the WTA Rankings but not won a Grand Slam singles title, with one of these women peaking at world No 1.
Here, we look at the nine women who have reached a ranking of world No 1 or 2 but not won a Grand Slam title since the WTA Rankings were introduced.
Career-high ranking of No 2
Andrea Jaeger
Andrea Jaeger, who played professionally between 1980 and 1985, peaked at second in the world rankings having reached the position for the first time in August 1981.
The American is a two-time runner-up at Grand Slams, having lost to Martina Navratilova in the finals of the 1982 French Open and the 1983 Wimbledon Championships.
Jaeger secured 10 WTA titles, while she lost in a further 26 finals — including at the WTA Finals.
Vera Zvonareva
Vera Zvonareva, who turned pro in 2000 and last played in 2024, reached a career-high ranking of world No 2 for the first time in October 2010.
The Russian made both of her major final appearances in 2010, losing to Serena Williams at Wimbledon and Kim Clijsters at the US Open.
Zvonareva won 12 WTA singles titles from 30 finals, including one WTA 1000 crown from seven title matches and a WTA Finals runner-up result.
Agnieszka Radwanska
Agnieszka Radwanska, who played between 2005 and 2018, first reached her peak WTA ranking of No 2 in July 2012.
In her only major championship match, Radwanska was beaten by Serena Williams at Wimbledon in 2012.
The Pole collected 20 titles from the 28 finals she reached, including a WTA Finals title and five WTA 1000 level crowns.
Paula Badosa
Paula Badosa, who turned pro in 2015, ascended to her career-high ranking of world No 2 in April 2022.
The Spaniard’s best Grand Slam result to date was her run to the semi-finals of the 2025 Australian Open, where she lost to Aryna Sabalenka.
Badosa has won all four of her finals on the WTA Tour, with her biggest triumph coming at the 2022 Indian Wells Open.
Anett Kontaveit
Anett Kontaveit, who played from 2010 to 2023, peaked at second in the WTA Rankings in June 2022.
The Estonian’s best result at a major was reaching the quarter-finals of the 2020 Australian Open, where she was beaten by Simona Halep.
Kontaveit claimed six titles, while she reached a further 11 finals, including at the WTA Finals and two WTA 1000 tournaments.
Facts & Stats Features
The 9 women with most wins over a WTA world No 1: Martina Navratilova 18, Serena Williams 2nd
The 16 women with a 100% win rate in Grand Slam finals: ft. Iga Swiatek, Naomi Osaka & Emma Raducanu
Ons Jabeur
Ons Jabeur, who turned pro in 2010, first ascended to her career-best ranking spot of world No 2 in June 2022.
The Tunisian is a three-time Grand Slam finalist, having lost successive Wimbledon title matches to Elena Rybakina and Marketa Vondrousova in 2022 and 2023, while she fell to Iga Swiatek in the 2022 US Open final.
Jabeur is a five-time titlist from her 13 appearances in finals, with her biggest victory coming at the 2022 Madrid Open.
Career-high ranking of No 1
Jelena Jankovic
Jelena Jankovic, who played between 2000 and 2017, first climbed to world No 1 in August 2008 and spent 18 weeks there in total as she ended that season on top of the rankings.
The Serbian reached her only major title match at the 2008 US Open, where she lost to Serena Williams.
Jankovic won 15 titles from her 36 finals and she holds a 6-7 record in WTA 1000 level championship matches.
Dinara Safina
Dinara Safina, who turned pro in 2000 and played her last match in 2011, first reached world No 1 in April 2009 and spent a total of 26 weeks in top spot.
The Russian is a three-time major runner-up, having lost to Ana Ivanovic and Svetlana Kuznetsova in the 2008 and 2009 French Open finals respectively, and Serena Williams in the 2009 Australian Open final.
Safina secured 12 titles from the 24 finals she contested, having won five WTA 1000 events from eight title matches and also claimed an Olympic silver medal.
Karolina Pliskova
Karolina Pliskova, who turned pro in 2009, ascended to world No 1 in the WTA Rankings for the first time in July 2017 and she has spent eight weeks there overall.
The Czech was beaten in both her Grand Slam final appearances, losing to Angelique Kerber at the 2016 US Open and Ash Barty at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships.
Pliskova holds a 17-17 record in finals and she has won two of the seven WTA 1000 championship matches she has played.
READ NEXT: The 7 women to lose in final of all four Grand Slams: Steffi Graf with a career Silver Slam
