Top five lowest-ranked champions on WTA Tour

Three unranked players have won tournaments on the WTA tour.

The women’s tour took longer than the men’s one to create a reliable and credible system. However, with the introduction of new tournaments and a functional set of rules, the WTA tour has made significant progress. However, unlike the ATP tour, unranked players have also won tournaments in women’s competitions.

Unranked players can participate in the tournament, primarily when they receive a wild card from the tournament coordinators. Thus, on that note, let’s take a look at the top five lowest-ranked champions on the WTA Tour:

5. Elina Svitolina: 508

Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina became one of the lowest-ranked players to win a WTA title in 2023 after her return from pregnancy. She announced her pregnancy in May 2022 and then gave birth to her first child, Skai, in October the same year.

After a few months, she made her return to action in April 2023, and after some decent victories, she received a wild card in Strasbourg while she was ranked 508 on the tour. She won the title, her first since her return.

4. Angelique Widjaja: 579

Former junior Wimbledon champion Angelique Widjaja won her maiden senior title at her home ground in Indonesia. She received a wild card for the 2001 Wismilak International and later went on to beat the likes of Hsieh Su-wei, Tamarine Tanasugarn, Alicia Molik, and Liu Nannan to reach the final. In the final, she clashed against South Africa’s Joannette Kruger and won 7–6 (7–2), 7–6 (7–4).

Also Read: Top five oldest champions in WTA Tour

3. Mirjana Lucic-Baroni: Unranked

Mirjana Lucic-Baroni clinched the 1997 Croatian Ladies Open title to become one of only three unranked women to ever win a title. She entered the tournament as a qualifier and defeated fourth seed Katarína Studeníková and top seed Amanda Coetzer to reach the final. In the summit clash, she was up against the United States’ Corina Morariu, whom she defeated in a three-set thriller 7–5, 6–7(4–7), 7–6(7–5).

Mirjana Lucic-Baroni later reached the semi-final of a Grand Slam twice in the women’s singles event. Australian Open in 2017 and the Wimbledon Championships in 1999.

2. Kim Clijsters: Unranked

One of the best female tennis players in history, Kim Clijsters, won the 2009 US Open as a wild card. After initially retiring from tennis at the age of 23 in 2007, the former Belgian tennis player returned in 2009 after marrying Brian Lynch and giving birth to a baby. She received a wild card entry in the main draw at Flushing Meadows, and the rest is history.

She defeated the likes of top names, such as Marion Bartoli, Venus Williams, Li Na, and Serena Williams, to secure a spot in the summit clash. In the final, she faced Danish tennis star Caroline Wozniacki and defeated her in straight sets. Clijsters retained her title in 2010 and officially retired from tennis with four Grand Slam titles in April 2022.

Also Read: Top five youngest WTA Tour champions in Open Era

1. Chris O’Neil: Unranked

The first-ever unranked player to win a women’s singles title was Australian legend Chris O’Neil. In 1978, she beat the likes of Betsy Nagelsen, Dianne Evers, Dorte Ekner, Beth Norton, and Leanne Harrison to win the Australian Open. Additionally, she didn’t lose a single set on her route to the prestigious title in Melbourne.

It was also Chris O’Neil’s only singles title in her professional career. After winning the title, she never cleared the third round of any Grand Slam.

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