It seems as if the WTA number one ranking is cursed! The more I think about it the more convinced I am that this might be the truth. Since Justine Henin's surprise decision to retire last year May, we have seen eight changes in the top spot (including Serena's induction next week), wheere as on the ATP side there has only been one in as much time. Curious... Now I'm not saying that Henin put the curse on the top spot, but in 2007 there was only two cchanges in the top spot and Henin finished the year as the number one player. here is a list of all the players who have held the number one spot since, judge for yourself;
1) Maria Sharapova got the number one position by default (though we all know that her resume shows that she was thoroughly deserving of the top spot. Before WTATSS (WTA Top Spot Syndrome- an acute illness that reduces its victim to a world spectacle) kicked in, Sharapova was on course to finishing a Career Grandslam, had even had a 18 match winning streak and had three titles in the bag... then all hell broke lose. Sharapova went on to lose in the 4th Round at Roland Garros, 2nd round at Wimbledon and to cap it of she ended up having to stop her season midway due to a shoulder inury, that left her inactive for nine months. Maria is back with an abbriviated serve and a determination to get back on top, so young yet so brave.
2)The First half of 2008 was a Stellar year for Ana Ivanavic, She had reached the Australian Open final, won Indian Wells and had risen up to number 2 on the WTA rankings and won her maiden Grand Slam Title at the French Open to ascend to the top of the rankings (if only she knew what that would bring) and becoming the first Serbian to be ranked number one in tennis. Faster that you can say Maria Jose Martina Sanchez, Ivanovic went into a downard spiral that has included a 2nd round exit at the 2008 Wimbledon Championships,a loss to unseed Kataryna Bonderenko in the 2009 US Open 1st Round. Ivanovic has been trying to regain her 2007-2008 form, she has yet to win a title in 2009 and has decided to take some time off to recuperate.
3) In 2008 Jelena Jankovic was the official Iron Woman of the WTA, comprising of four tour titles (the last three in succession over three weeks) and won 65 matches for the year. Elena Dementieva waas even recorded saying, after Jankovic beat her in the 2008 US Open sems, that "If Jankovic could she would play two tounaments a week". After WTATSS struck Jankovic never made a Grand Slam Quarterfinal again! I know, this disease is hardcore.Displaying some of the qualities that led to her being the Iron women, Jankovic won the 2009 Cinncinati Title and reached the Japan Open Final. If only she could share some of her treatment with compatriat Ivanovic...
4)Atleast in Serena's case WTATSS was not at potent as the other casualties on this list, she has managed to win two grandslam titles. Then whats the problem you might ask. Well, Serena has failed to win a non-grandslam tour title since Charleston in 2008!
5) Poor Dinara Safina! No matter what the girl does, she is damned. For years she lived behind the spotlight of older brother and when she finaly proves her worth, she ends up having to continualy defend why she is number 1. Before WTATSS Safina was on fire winnig in both Rome and Madrid Fast forward through the humiliation at the French Open final which she lost to Svetlana Kuznetsova, the thrashing at the Wimbledon semis (only winning one game) to her humiliation at the US Open to a player ranked outside the top 40, Petra Kvitova. Petra was such an unknown at the US Open that spectators supporting her were yelling "Go Yellow" in reference to the Yellow top she dorned
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