Who is the current world No. 1 in women’s tennis? Updated WTA rankings and explained
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 No. 1?
Iga Swiatek is new world number one after replacing the retired Ashleigh Barty, who asked for her name to be withdrawn from the rankings.
The Polish 20-year-old cemented her move to top spot by recently winning both the Indian Wells Masters and Miami Open.
WTA women’s singles world rankings*
| Ranking | Change | Name | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | – | Iga Swiatek | 6,711 |
| 2 | – | Barbora Krejcikova | 4,975 |
| 3 | – | Paula Badosa | 4,885 |
| 4 | +1 | Aryna Sabalenka | 4,711 |
| 5 | -1 | Maria Sakkari | 4,705 |
| 6 | – | Anett Kontaveit | 4,511 |
| 7 | – | Karolina Pliskova | 4,252 |
| 8 | – | Danielle Collins | 3,151 |
| 9 | +1 | Ons Jabeur | 3,095 |
| 10 | -1 | Garbine Muguruza | 3,070 |
*Updated April 11, 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.
When are tennis world rankings updated?
Both the ATP and WTA update their rankings every Monday when tournaments aren’t running.
So in general you can expect weekly updates aside from when Grand Slams are being competed.
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. 243.