WTA: 30+ & In Top 100 – Williams, Na, Petrova and more

Written by: Staff on 9th December 2012

WTA: 30+ & In Top 100 - Williams, Na, Petrova and more

epa03502048 US. tennis player Serena Williams returns a ball against Belarusian Victoria Azarenka, during their exhibition match of the Gillette Federer Tour in Sao Paulo, Brazil, 08 December 2012. EPA/Sebastião Moreira |

(Original Story Courtesy of WTA: http://www.wtatennis.com/news/20121206/stats-corner-30-in-top-100_2256076_3002516)

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