The 9 best WTA players to never be world No 1: ft Kvitova, Mandlikova, Sabatini

Oli Dickson Jefford 07 Feb 2025 8:05 PM

Petra Kvitova, Hana Mandlikova, Gabriela Sabatini.

Twenty-nine women have held the world No 1 ranking on the WTA Tour – but there are plenty of other legendary players worthy of celebration.

Here, we rank the nine greatest female players to never reach world No 1.

We are only focusing on players who were competing in their prime after the WTA Rankings were first introduced in 1975, and are also not including active players who could contend for world No 1.

9) Elena Dementieva

Career High: No 3
Career Titles: 16
Grand Slam Titles: 0

Perhaps the best WTA player to never win a Grand Slam title, Dementieva held her own in one of the strongest eras of women’s tennis.

The Russian reached a high of world No 3 at the peak of her powers and was a finalist at the French Open and US Open in 2004, and also reached semi-finals at both the Australian Open and Wimbledon.

Dementieva won an impressive 16 WTA titles, including a memorable Olympic triumph in 2008 and three WTA 1000 titles.

8) Li Na

Career High: No 2
Career Titles: 9
Grand Slam Titles: 2

One of the greatest late-bloomers in tennis history, Na developed from a consistent WTA stalwart into a formidable force during the latter years of her career.

The Chinese star won her maiden Grand Slam title at the 2011 French Open though is probably best remembered for her 2014 Australian Open triumph, which came after final defeats in 2011 and 2013.

She reached a career-high of world No 2 after that victory and won nine WTA titles overall, including one WTA 1000 title; she was also a US Open semi-finalist in 2013.

7) Svetlana Kuznetsova

Career High: No 2
Career Titles: 18
Grand Slam Titles: 2

Kuznetsova was one of the most naturally gifted players of her generation and, across a long and consistent career, she achieved some of the greatest feats in tennis.

The Russian won 18 titles overall including two Grand Slam triumphs, at the 2004 US Open and 2009 French Open – reaching a further final at both those majors.

She was also a two-time WTA 1000 champion and, though she never got to world No 1, she was more than a match for the Williams sisters and Justine Henin in her prime.

6) Jana Novotna

Career High: No 2
Career Titles: 24
Grand Slam Titles: 1

Novotna’s career will always be synonymous with her 1998 Wimbledon triumph, coming after heartbreaking SW19 final defeats in 1993 and 1997 – though her career was much more than that.

The Czech was also a finalist at the Australian Open in 1991, and reached multiple semi-finals at both the French and US Opens across her career.

Novotna never quite usurped the likes of Steffi Graf and Martina Hingis to reach No 1, though peaked at No 2 in 1997 – and won a hugely impressive 24 career singles titles.

5) Conchita Martinez

Career High: No 2
Career Titles: 33
Grand Slam Titles: 1

Arguably one of the most underrated players in modern tennis history, former world No 2 Martinez was the beacon of consistency across the 1990s.

The Spaniard is most known for her Wimbledon victory in 1994, though she was also an Australian Open and French Open runner-up, and twice a US Open semi-finalist.

Martinez reached 12 Grand Slam semi-finals and won a staggering 33 WTA titles across her career, including an impressive nine WTA 1000 titles.

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4) Mary Pierce

Career High: No 3
Career Titles: 18
Grand Slam Titles: 2

Pierce’s career was affected by peaks and troughs in her form and multiple injury battles though, at the peak of her powers, she was close to unstoppable.

The French star was the 1995 Australian Open and 2000 Roland Garros, but reached a further four major singles finals – spread over 11 years.

A former world No 3 at her peak, Pierce’s 18 WTA titles include not only her Grand Slams but five WTA 1000 titles – and she reached 41 career finals in total.

3) Gabriela Sabatini

Career High: No 3
Career Titles: 27
Grand Slam Titles: 1

One of the most beloved figures in tennis history, Sabatini’s career was affected by playing in the same era as Graf, Monica Seles, Chris Evert, and Martina Navratilova, among others.

However, the Argentine was still able to take home the US Open title in 1990, and was also a runner-up at Flushing Meadows in 1988, and Wimbledon in 1991.

Sabatini reached 18 Grand Slam semi-finals, won 27 WTA Tour titles – including two WTA Finals titles – and has the most wins over world No 1’s of any player who never reached the top themselves.

2) Petra Kvitova

Career High: No 2
Career Titles: 31
Grand Slam Titles: 2

Kvitova has won a staggering 31 WTA titles across her career – more than peers such as Victoria Azarenka, Caroline Wozniacki, and Angelique Kerber.

The Czech is best known for her Wimbledon triumphs in 2011 and 2014, though she was also the Australian Open runner-up in 2019 – and is a two-time semi-finalist at Roland Garros.

Kvitova also won nine WTA 1000 titles and the WTA Finals in 2011, though has never quite reached world No 1.

The Czech would have held the top spot had she won the Australian Open final six years ago.

1) Hana Mandlikova

Career High: No 3
Career Titles: 27
Grand Slam Titles: 4

Evert, Navratilova, and Graf dominated the 1980s, making it difficult for any players to try and peak at the top of the WTA Rankings.

And, while Mandlikova was not able to get past world No 3, what she achieved in her career was truly extraordinary – and more than enough to put her top of our countdown.

The Czech was an Australian Open champion in 1980 and 1987 (on the grass of Kooyong) and also won the 1981 French Open and 1985 US Open titles.

Mandlikova reached a further four major finals – including two at Wimbledon – and is one of a select few to win Slams on all three main surfaces, while also taking home a total of 27 titles.