Ranking Movers: Wozniacki leads the pack, Mertens making moves
Australian Open champion Caroline Wozniacki celebrated lifting her maiden Grand Slam title with another sweet prize - a return to the WTA World No.1 ranking.
After entering the tournament ranked World No.2 and chasing down Simona Halep for a shot at the top, Wozniacki blazed through the draw after saving match point in the second round. Wozniacki and Halep met in the final - the first Grand Slam final between World No.1 and World No.2, and between the top two seeds, since 2015 - and it was the Dane who outlasted in a grueling three sets to lift the title.
Read more: Champions Corner: 'It was meant to be,' says Wozniacki
And with Caroline Wozniacki, Simona Halep, Garbine Muguruza, Karolina Pliskova, Venus Williams and Angelique Kerber all back inside the Top 10, that means a stunning six players who’ve previously held the No.1 ranking are currently in the Top 10.
Here are some of the fortnight’s most notable ranking movers:
Caroline Wozniacki (+1, No.2 to No.1): 27-year-old Wozniacki has previously held the No.1 ranking for 67 non-consecutive weeks, starting on October 11, 2010 and ending on January 29, 2012 - exactly six years to the date as her return to the top. Even more amazing, that six year gap between stints at No.1 is the longest in WTA Rankings history.
Angelique Kerber (+7, No.16 to No.9): Kerber was a force to be reckoned with during the Australian Open, where she lifted the title in 2016, and her run to the semifinals rocketed her back up the rankings to land back inside the Top 10.
Elise Mertens (+17, No.37 to No.20): She came into the Australian Open having never played a main draw match, and ended up notching a series of upsets to reach her first ever Grand Slam semifinal. As a result, Mertens will be the first Belgian to be ranked in Top 20 since No.20 Kirsten Flipkens in 2014. Additionally, at 22 years old she’s the youngest Belgian to hold Top 20 ranking since week of 21-year-old Yanina Wickmayer in 2011.
Marta Kostyuk (+278, No.521 to No.243): The biggest ranking jump of the fortnight goes to 15-year-old qualifier Kostyuk, who played well above her ranking to claim her spot in the main draw and become the youngest player since Martina HIngis in 1996 to win a match at the Australian Open. She didn’t stop there, reaching the third round in her Grand Slam debut.
Click here for more WTA Rankings from the week of January 29, 2018.
