SANIA MIRZA OF INDIA BECOMES WORLD NUMBER ONE IN DOUBLES ON THE WOMEN’S TENNIS TOUR

Written by: Staff on 12th April 2015

SANIA MIRZA OF INDIA BECOMES WORLD NUMBER ONE IN DOUBLES ON THE WOMEN'S TENNIS TOUR

epa02752049 Sania Mirza of India returns to Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland during their second round match for the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris, France, 26 May 2011. EPA/CHRISTOPHE KARABA |

SANIA MIRZA ACHIEVES WTA WORLD NO.1 DOUBLES RANKING

· Mirza becomes first Indian woman to achieve the WTA World No.1 doubles ranking

· Newly-formed team of Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza wins 14-straight matches to capture three titles – Indian Wells, Miami and Charleston

· Hingis/Mirza are now No.1 on the Road to Singapore Leaderboard

ST. PETERSBURG, FL, USA – The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) today announced that India’s Sania Mirza will rise to the WTA World No.1 doubles ranking on Monday, April 13. Since the WTA doubles rankings were introduced on September 10, 1984, Mirza is the 33rd player to reach the top doubles ranking, the first from India and fourth from Asia, to do so.

In the last 52 weeks, which are used to calculate the WTA doubles rankings, Mirza has won seven doubles titles with three different partners: Portugal Open (Oeiras), Toray Pan Pacific Open (Tokyo) and the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global with Cara Black; Apia International Sydney with Bethanie Mattek-Sands; and BNP Paribas Open, Miami Open presented by Itau and Family Circle Cup with Martina Hingis.

In March this year, 28-year-old Mirza teamed up with nine-time Grand Slam doubles champion Martina Hingis, and the pair achieved instant success, winning 14-straight matches and claiming three successive titles. These results have propelled Mirza to the top of the WTA doubles rankings, and the team of Hingis/Mirza to the top of the Road to Singapore doubles leaderboard.

Mirza said achieving the WTA World No.1 doubles ranking was a dream come true. “When you start off as a child playing tennis, you dream of being No.1 in the world. It’s a dream for every person; very few get there. I feel extremely honored to be No.1, it’s something that I’ve worked for all my life. I hope this makes girls in India believe that anything is possible; we can achieve anything we want if we put our mind and body to it.”

Stacey Allaster, WTA Chairman and CEO, said: “It is a truly remarkable accomplishment for Sania Mirza to become the first Indian woman to reach the WTA World No.1 doubles ranking. Sania has attained many milestones throughout her successful career and this achievement is a fitting recognition of her talent, dedication and success. I am sure Sania will continue to create history and inspire our ever-growing fan base in India and the wider Asia-Pacific region.”

Among her notable achievements, Mirza was the first Indian woman to win a WTA singles title; the first to reach the third and fourth rounds of a Grand Slam; the first to surpass $1 million in career prize money; and the first to win a Grand Slam title of any kind when she claimed the 2009 Australian Open mixed doubles title with countryman Mahesh Bhupathi. She holds a total of 26 career doubles titles, and three Grand Slam mixed doubles titles.

Only three other Asian women have achieved the WTA World No.1 doubles ranking: Japan’s Ai Sugiyama, China’s Peng Shuai, and Chinese Taipei’s Hsieh Su-Wei.

WTA PLAYERS TO HOLD NO.1 DOUBLES RANKING:

PLAYER
WEEKS
FIRST DATE AT NO.1

Martina Navratilova
237
September 10, 1984

Liezel Huber
199
November 12, 2007

Cara Black
163
October 17, 2005

Lisa Raymond
137
June 12, 2000

Natasha Zvereva
124
October 7, 1991

Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario
111
October 19, 1992

Roberta Vinci
110
October 15, 2012

Sara Errani
87
September 10, 2012

Paola Suarez
87
September 9, 2002

Gigi Fernandez
80
March 4, 1991

Helena Sukova
68
February 5, 1990

Jana Novotna
67
August 27, 1990

Virginia Ruano Pascual
65
September 8, 2003

Samantha Stosur
61
February 6, 2006

Pam Shriver
48
March 18, 1985

Ai Sugiyama
45
October 23, 2000

Martina Hingis
35
June 8, 1998

Lindsay Davenport
32
October 20, 1997

Gisela Dulko
24
November 1, 2010

Peng Shuai
20
February 17, 2014

Flavia Pennetta
18
February 28, 2011

Julie Halard-Decugis
14
September 11, 2000

Anna Kournikova
10
November 22, 1999

Kveta Peschke
10
July 4, 2011

Katarina Srebotnik
10
July 4, 2011

Serena Williams
8
June 7, 2010

Venus Williams
8
June 7, 2010

Corina Morariu
7
April 3, 2000

Hsieh Su-Wei
5
May 12, 2014

Kim Clijsters
4
August 4, 2003

Larisa Neiland
4
January 27, 1992

Rennae Stubbs
3
August 21, 2000

Sania Mirza
1
April 13, 2015

PLAYER	WEEKS	FIRST DATE AT NO.1
Martina Navratilova	237	September 10, 1984
Liezel Huber	199	November 12, 2007
Cara Black	163	October 17, 2005
Lisa Raymond	137	June 12, 2000
Natasha Zvereva	124	October 7, 1991
Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario	111	October 19, 1992
Roberta Vinci	110	October 15, 2012
Sara Errani	87	September 10, 2012
Paola Suarez	87	September 9, 2002
Gigi Fernandez	80	March 4, 1991
Helena Sukova	68	February 5, 1990
Jana Novotna	67	August 27, 1990
Virginia Ruano Pascual	65	September 8, 2003
Samantha Stosur	61	February 6, 2006
Pam Shriver	48	March 18, 1985
Ai Sugiyama	45	October 23, 2000
Martina Hingis	35	June 8, 1998
Lindsay Davenport	32	October 20, 1997
Gisela Dulko	24	November 1, 2010
Peng Shuai	20	February 17, 2014
Flavia Pennetta	18	February 28, 2011
Julie Halard-Decugis	14	September 11, 2000
Anna Kournikova	10	November 22, 1999
Kveta Peschke	10	July 4, 2011
Katarina Srebotnik	10	July 4, 2011
Serena Williams	8	June 7, 2010
Venus Williams	8	June 7, 2010
Corina Morariu	7	April 3, 2000
Hsieh Su-Wei	5	May 12, 2014
Kim Clijsters	4	August 4, 2003
Larisa Neiland	4	January 27, 1992
Rennae Stubbs	3	August 21, 2000
Sania Mirza	1	April 13, 2015

Topics: Doubles, India, Martina Hingis, Sania Mirza, Tennis News, Wta

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10sBalls_com says:

April 12, 2015 at 6:39 pm

-@MirzaSania OF #INDIA BECOMES WORLD NUMBER ONE IN #DOUBLES ON THE WOMEN’S #TENNIS TOUR- http://t.co/0CpJxX6dtW @WTA #SaniaMirza