Serena Williams returns to world no 1 in WTA rankings


Serena Williams is back as world number one – despite the fact that she will not play again this year.

The American returned to top spot in the WTA ranking on Monday when Angelique Kerber dropped her points from last year’s Stuttgart tournament.

That was enough to propel the 35-year-old back to number one - she is the oldest woman ever to hold that position - although Kerber will have the chance to wrest it back when she plays this year’s Stuttgart event this week.

Kerber only needs to win her opening match to return to the top spot next week. Having received a first-round bye, she will face either Kiki Mladenovic or Mirjana Lucic-Baroni.

Williams, who has not played since winning the Australian Open in January, announced last week that she is expecting her first child. She says she will not play again this season but plans to return in 2018.

Briton Johanna Konta remains at a career-high of seventh in the latest list, while there was good news for British number four Tara Moore, who cracks the top 150 for the first time in her career.

In the men’s rankings, Kyle Edmund replaces Dan Evans as British number two after beating his Davis Cup team-mate in Monte Carlo last week. Edmund climbs to 42nd – two places shy of his career-high.

Rafael Nadal is up to fifth in the latest list after winning in Monte Carlo and becoming the first man to win the same ATP tournament 10 times.

Andy Murray still tops the list, ahead of Novak Djokovic. Stan Wawrinka sits third with Roger Federer, who did not play in Monte Carlo, fourth.


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