Serena Williams added to her list of remarkable achievements by becoming the oldest woman to be top of tennis’s world rankings, her sixth separate stint at the pinnacle.
The 31-year-old rallied from 1-4 down in the third set to beat former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 in the quarter-finals of the Qatar Open on Friday (February 15). She needed to win the match to replace Victoria Azarenka at No. 1 in the rankings, which came out this week.
Williams, who has battled career-threatening injuries and illness in recent years, held up one finger after clinching the match with an ace and wiped away tears as she addressed the cheering crowd. “I never thought I would be here again,” she said. “Oh my gosh! I’ve been through so much. I never thought I would be here.”
The achievement is more remarkable because the winner of 15 singles Grand Slam titles plays fewer ranking tournaments than her rivals.
Williams eased past Maria Sharapova on Saturday in two sets but succumbed to Azarenka in Sunday’s final, going down 6-7, 6-2, 3-6.
The previous oldest number one was Chris Evert, who held the top ranking in 1985 approaching her 31st birthday.
