When the WTA Tour rankings come out officially Monday, Ivanovic will be back on top — a place she will hold for at least two weeks. The 20-year old Serb, who held the No. 1 ranking for nine weeks from June 9-Aug. 11, moved past compatriot Jelena Jankovic.
Nadal, who captured the men’s singles gold medal Sunday at the Beijing Olympics, will also become No. 1 Monday — snapping Federer’s 4½-year reign atop the rankings.
Entering the Olympics, three women had a chance to be No. 1 by the end of the tournament — Ivanovic, Jankovic and Svetlana Kuznetsova.
Both Jankovic and Kuznetsova could have grabbed the top spot by reaching the finals in Beijing, but an opening-round loss to China’s Li Na ended Kuznetsova’s bid. Jankovic was eliminated by silver medalist Dinara Safina in the quarterfinals.
Ivanovic moved up despite being forced to withdraw from the Olympics due to a thumb injury. She has won two titles this year, including her first career Grand Slam championship at the French Open.
She also defeated Jankovic and Kuznetsova on the way to capturing the Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells, Calif. Ivanovic, who has compiled a 30-8 record, was runner-up to Maria Sharapova at the Australian Open in January and a semifinalist at two other WTA Tour stops in Sydney and in Berlin.
Ivanovic has already secured a place in the singles competition for the season-ending Sony Ericsson Championships, scheduled for Doha, Qatar, from Nov. 4-9.
Her season-ending ranking has improved from No. 705 in 2003, to No. 97 in 2004, to No. 16 a year later, to No. 14 in 2006 and No. 4 last year.
Since Justine Henin retired and immediately took her name off the rankings, Ivanovic, Jankovic and Sharapova have been No. 1.
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