Does Caroline Wozniacki Deserve Her No.1 Status Over Serena Williams?
Caroline Wozniacki has become the No.1 on the WTA Tour. The girl from Odense, Denmark who now resides in Monte Carlo is the 20th woman to have achieved this feat.
However, on the back of just 11 career titles (and 5 to date so far in 2010) it’s open to debate whether the 20-year-old deserves to be considered the best in the world … better than, say, Serena Williams who she has just disposed to take the top spot in the new WTA rankings.
“It’s not surprising that Caroline’s incredible athleticism, discipline, dedication to training and razor sharp focus have gotten her to No.1,” said Stacey Allaster, Chairman of the WTA.
“With the No.1 ranking, Caroline has joined a group of extraordinary players that have climbed to the pinnacle of the sport. She is an inspiring young woman who has earned this incredible accolade.”
Wozniacki has indeed joined an extraordinary group. Players like Serena and Venus Williams, Martina Hingis, Justine Henin, Steffi Graf, Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert, and more recently Ana Ivanovic, Maria Sharapova and Kim Clijsters.
However, like two other former No.1’s, Jelena Jankovic and Dinara Safina, Wozniacki has yet to win a Grand Slam. Every other player to top the charts – either before, during or after – has tasted success in one of the majors. Thus far in her short career Wozniacki has only made a QF in Paris and a SF and final in New York.
“I’m very proud I can call myself the No.1 in the world now. It’s an incredible feeling and something I’ve always worked for to achieve,” Wozniacki said.
She should be rightly proud of climbing to the top of the women’s game. That said, it must be noted that her recent move to No.1 has come on the back of an injury to Serena Williams that has kept her sidelined for a number of months. Williams will be back in 2011 and that could easily see a reversal of the current position.
We’re also in a period where few other girls are right at the top of their game and there have been a number of retirements (and subsequent comebacks!) of a number of leading players.
In order to cement her reputation as one of the game’s great players Wozniacki now has to go on and deliver the goods on the biggest stage of all. Next up is the Australian Open where she is still 8/1 to claim a maiden Grand Slam title. That will be the first major test for the new No.1 … she might not even be the No.1 by the time we reach Melbourne next year.
What is certain is that if Woznicki wants to be considered amongst the best in the world, and not just a player who enjoyed a stroke of fortune in taking the top spot, she needs to add major success to her CV.
