Top five lowest ranked players to defeat World No. 1 on WTA Tour

Darina Safina and Ana Ivanovic have appeared on this infamous list twice.

The WTA circuit never fails to deliver awe-inspiring moments. From an underdog winning a Grand Slam title to a superstar losing his place in the top rank, tennis has always surprised the audience in some way.

In 2021, Emma Raducanu won the US Open to become the first British woman to win a singles major since Virginia Wade at the 1977 Wimbledon Championships. Her win was a surprise, and the sport is no stranger to surprises. On that note, let’s take a look at the top five lowest-ranked players to defeat the world No. 1 on the WTA Tour.

5. Dinara Safina lost to Chang Kai-chen: No. 132

Dinara Safina lost to Chang Kai-chen in the second round of the 2009 Toray Pan Pacific Open. Kai-chen earned a spot in the main draw through the qualifiers.

However, her campaign ended in the subsequent round after she lost to the Czech Republic’s Iveta Benešová. Later, Maria Sharapova won the tournament after Jelena Janković was forced to retire from the final due to an injury.

4. Lindsay Davenport lost to Kim Clijsters: No. 133

Kim Clijsters won her first Grand Slam title (the 2005 US Open) amid massive injury woes. At the start of the year, she had been out since 2005 and was making a comeback after injury. Unseeded, she picked up her former form at the Indian Wells Masters and marched forward to win the title.

In the final, she was up against top-ranked Lindsay Davenport. However, Davenport also failed to spoil Clijsters’ party by losing 6-4, 4-6, 6-2.

3. Ana Ivanovic lost to Zheng Jie: No. 133

A huge disappointment for former world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic came when she lost to WTA world No. 133 Zheng Jie in the 2008 Wimbledon Championships semifinals. In the third round, Zheng Jie registered a one-sided win over Ivanovic 6–1, 6–4.

However, unlike a fluke victory, Jie reached the semifinals of the Championships, where she faced eventual runner-up Serena Williams. The former Chinese tennis star faced off against the 23-time Grand Slam champion, who later lost to her sister Venus Williams in the final.

2. Ana Ivanovic lost to Julie Coin: No. 188

The women’s singles final of the 2008 US Open was played between Jelena Janković and Serena Williams, with Serena Williams winning. Before the tournament started, Ana Ivanovic was one of the favourites to win the title. However, the former Serbian tennis star’s campaign ended in the second round after she lost to qualifier Julie Coin.

The retired French tennis player was ranked World No. 188 at that time. After eliminating the top-ranked star in the second round, she came up short against 32nd seed Amélie Mauresmo in the subsequent round.

1. Dinara Safina lost to Zhang Shuai: No. 226

The 2009 China Open was a campaign to forget for Dinara Safina. She entered the tournament as the top seed and defeated Italy’s Roberta Vinci in the first round. However, the former world No. 1 suffered a disappointing loss to China’s Zhang Shuai, who received a wildcard into the main draw.

She defeated Safina in straight sets by winning both tie-breakers. However, Shuai’s campaign ended in the next round when she lost to Marion Bartoli of France in a three-set match. At the time, she was outside the top 200 WTA rankings.

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