The mantle of world number one in tennis is something every player aspires for but few ever achieve.
When it comes to women’s singles, Serena Williams dominated for years but younger players have emerged to stake their claim for the crown.
Who is the current women’s world number one?
Ashleigh Barty is the current world number one when it comes to women’s singles.
The Australian has been sitting atop the rankings since September 2019 when she replaced Naomi Osaka, who had herself knocked off Barty just a month prior.
Barty’s recent triumph at the 2022 Australian Open has allowed her to open up a sizeable gap on her closest rankings rivals.
WTA women’s singles world rankings*
| Ranking | Name | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ashleigh Barty | 7,980 |
| 2 | Barbora Krejcikova | 5,073 |
| 3 | Aryna Sabalenka | 4,853 |
| 4 | Iga Swiatek | 4,776 |
| 5 | Anett Kontaveit | 4,721 |
| 6 | Maria Sakkari | 4,436 |
| 7 | Paula Badosa | 4,424 |
| 8 | Karolina Pliskova | 4,242 |
| 9 | Garbine Muguruza | 3,235 |
| 10 | Ons Jabeur | 3,065 |
*Updated March 13, 2022
How do tennis world rankings work?
Women’s tennis world rankings are calculated by the WTA, who award points based on a player’s performance at particular tournaments.
The further a player progresses in a sanctioned event, the more points they will be awarded.
Grand slams provide the most points with 2000 awarded to the winner and 1200 to the runner-up.
Points picked up from each tournament last for one year with rankings updated each week.
Where is Serena Williams ranked now?
After dominating the sport for so long, American star Serena Williams has seen her ranking drop in recent years.
The 40-year-old took a break from tennis to have a child in 2017 and battled injuries in the second half of 2021.
Williams has missed the past two grand slams with her world ranking now sitting at No. 236.