Serena Williams is just one of many examples on the WTA these days that reaching one's 30th birthday is no longer a sign that retirement is near. She secured a WTA-best seven titles in 2012 and finished at No.3 in the rankings - if she returns to No.1, she will be the oldest player ever to hold the top spot.

Those 30 and older occupied 11 spots on the November 5, 2012 year-end rankings. Here is a list of those 11 players:

31-year-old Serena Williams: No.3
30-year-old Li Na: No.7
30-year-old Nadia Petrova: No.12
32-year-old Venus Williams: No.24
30-year-old Klara Zakopalova: No.28
32-year-old Francesca Schiavone: No.35
30-year-old Flavia Pennetta: No.45
31-year-old Lourdes Domínguez Lino: No.48
30-year-old Anabel Medina Garrigues: No.50
30-year-old Melinda Czink: No.96
30-year-old Eleni Daniilidou: No.100

That is the most 30 and older players in the season-ending Top 100 in over 30 years. Here is a list of how many players 30 and older were in the season-ending Top 100 each year since the rankings were instituted in 1975:

2012: 11
2011: 7
2010: 7
2009: 5
2008: 6
2007: 9
2006: 8
2005: 10
2004: 8
2008: 8
2002: 8
2001: 2
2000: 2
1999: 1
1998: 5
1997: 4
1996: 5
1995: 6
1994: 5
1993: 4
1992: 5
1991: 4
1990: 6
1989: 6
1988: 3
1987: 6
1986: 7
1985: 5
1984: 5
1983: 5
1982: 9
1981: 10
1980: 11
1979: 9
1978: 16
1977: 14
1976: 11
1975: 11