Serbia’s Ana Ivanovic is already at the top of the rankings, having officially reached the No.1 spot last Monday. Ivanovic’s compatriot Jelena Jankovic will reach career high of No.2 when the latest rankings are released on Monday, overtaking Russia’s Maria Sharapova. This means that next week the world’s two highest-ranked players will be from Serbia.
Jankovic withdrew from the tournament in Birmingham, where she was supposed to defend her title. Last year’s runner-up Maria Sharapova also pulled out of the grass-court event. As a result of the withdrawal, Jankovic will lose 140 points, while Sharapova will lose 100 points. As Jankovic belongs to a group of players who have taken part in the greatest number of WTA tournaments (24) she will get additional 100 points.
Therefore, on Monday, June 16, Jankovic will be world No.2 having 3,715 points, and will get a step closer to the dream No.1 spot which is currently occupied by her countrywoman Ivanovic.
“To become number one is definitely one of my goals, but you need to earn the prestigious spot. If I fail to win one of the Big Four tournaments, I don’t deserve to become the number one,” said Jankovic.
Having taken over Sharapova in the rankings, Jankovic will be the number two seed at Wimbledon, thus will avoid meeting up with her compatriot Ana Ivanovic prior to the final.
You’re wrong. She won’t get additional points. All players have only their points from best 17 tournaments they’ve played calculated in the rankings. Jelena lost 140 points because of not defending the title in Birmingham, but she will get points from her 18th best tournament (that is not calculated in her 3700 points)and that is 100 points. Sharapova, however, will only loose her 100 points, and because she didn’t play more than 17 tournaments last year she won’t get additional points as Jelena will.