Henin, who announced her retirement Wednesday at the age of 25, has asked to be removed from the rankings, the WTA Tour said Thursday. That means Sharapova will automatically become No. 1 when the next rankings are released Monday.
It will be the fourth time the Russian has become No. 1. She held the top spot for a total of 14 weeks in her career, the last time in 2007.
"The ranking has never been a big deal for me,'' Sharapova said late Wednesday after beating Dominika Cibulkova in the second round of the Italian Open. "Whether I'm No. 1 or 5, my main goal is just to keep winning tennis matches and the ranking will take care of itself if I keep winning.''
Henin, winner of seven Grand Slam titles, is the first woman to retire while holding the No. 1 ranking. This is the Belgian's 117th nonconsecutive week in the top spot, making her the sixth longest reigning No. 1 since the inception of the computer rankings in 1975.
After an injury-plagued 2007, Sharapova started off 2008 by winning the Australian Open for her third Grand Slam title, and has compiled a 24-2 record this year.
Top-ranked Henin reportedly quitting tennis
