Serbia Stays atop WTA Tour

Ana Ivanovic didn't sit atop the WTA Tour standings for too long, although her country is still well represented with Jelena Jankovic claiming the #1 ranking.  Jelena's #1 spot doesn't seem as "legitimate," considering she hasn't won a Grand Slam title yet, as Ivanovic did with the 2008 French Open....none the less, congratulations to Jelena on the accolade.

JELENA JANKOVIC TO ASSUME SONY ERICSSON WTA TOUR NO. 1 RANKING ON AUGUST 11

 Serbian star to become 18th player to reach No.1 spot in Tour history the week of August 11, 2008

 ST. PETERSBURG, FL, USA – The Sony Ericsson WTA Tour will crown Jelena Jankovic as the new World No. 1 when the official Tour rankings are published on Monday, August 11.

 Jankovic will replace her Serbian compatriot Ana Ivanovic, who will have held the top ranking for nine weeks, beginning June 9, 2008. Ivanovic was the first player from Serbia to become the World No. 1, with Jankovic now following right behind. The two are projected to be in close competition the next few weeks for the illustrious top ranking, with eight points separating them come August 11 - Jankovic owning 3,620 points and Ivanovic with 3,612 points.

 Jankovic ascends to the pinnacle of women’s professional tennis after capping a 12 month display of impressive and consistently successful results. Over the course of the past year, Jankovic has won the Tier I 2008 Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome and has reached the finals of the 2008 Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, the 2007 Rogers Cup in Toronto and the 2007 China Open in Beijing. In addition, she has advanced to the semifinals of two of the three Grand Slams contested thus far in 2008, falling to eventual champion Maria Sharapova at the Australian Open and eventual champion Ana Ivanovic at Roland Garros. The Serbian star also reached the 2008 semifinals of the Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells, CA and the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships in Dubai.

 “Since I was a young girl it's been my dream to become No.1 in the world,” Jankovic said. “When you get older, at least one day you can say you were No.1 and no one can take that away from you. You are in the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour history books and it's a great achievement."

 At 23 years, 5 months and 13 days, Jankovic will become the 18^th top-ranked player in women’s tennis history, joining a distinguished list that includes Chris Evert, Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Martina Navratilova, Tracy Austin, Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Justine Henin, Kim Clijsters, Jennifer Capriati, Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario, Amélie Mauresmo, Monica Seles, Steffi Graf, Martina Hingis, Lindsay Davenport, Maria Sharapova and Ana Ivanovic.

 “Jelena has had a fantastic year and displayed incredible grit and determination,” stated Sony Ericsson WTA Tour CEO Larry Scott. “In addition to her tremendous talent and skill on the tennis court, Jelena also finds a special way to entertain and engage her fans, adding a unique spark and personality to our sport that is appreciated worldwide. Jelena’s success adds another amazing milestone for Serbian tennis and I am sure we will continue to witness great achievements by her.”

"We are delighted to congratulate Jelena on the brilliant achievement of becoming World No. 1,” remarked Aldo Liguori, Corporate VP and Head of Global Communications & PR of Sony Ericsson. “She joins a distinguished list of players who have held the top spot. Sony Ericsson is proud to be associated with the ongoing success of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour as it continues to raise the profile of women's tennis."

Jankovic began defining herself as a potential Sony Ericsson WTA Tour World No.1 approximately two years ago, when she labored past a string of ten consecutive opening round losses and a ranking drop to No.38 in the middle of the year. She successfully turned the season around and vaulted to No.12 by year end. Since then, the Serbian has been a consistent figure in the Top 10, securely staying inside the top elite since February 26, 2007. Her season-ending ranking has improved from No. 194 (in 2002), to No. 85 (in 2003), to No. 28 (in 2004), to No. 22 (in 2005), to No. 12 (2006) and to No. 3 (in 2007).

* Total weeks at No.1; can be non-consecutive | ** Denotes week of August 11, 2008 Courtesy WTA Media department