Women's Tennis Association

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The Women's Tennis Association, formed in 1973, is the principal organizing body of women's professional tennis. It organizes the WTA Tour, the worldwide professional tennis tour for women, which has for sponsorship reasons been known since 2005 as The Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. Its counterpart organization in the men's professional game is the ATP.

The Women's Tennis Association can trace its origins back to Houston, Texas when the inaugural Virginia Slims event was won on 23 September 1970. Billie Jean King was a major figure in the early days of the WTA.

[edit] Tournament categories

The WTA divides the main women's tournaments into several tiers:

Grand Slam Events (4)
Season-ending championships (Sony Ericsson Championships): with Three Million Dollars ($3,000,000) prize money.
Tier tournaments:
1. Tier I (minimum prize money of $1,340,000): There are nine (9) Tier I Tournaments.
2. Tier II (minimum prize money of $600,000): There are fourteen (14) Tier II Tournaments.
3. Tier III(minimum prize money of $175,000): There are eighteen (18) Tournaments in this Tier.
4. Tier IV (minimum prize money of $145,000): There are thirteen (13) Tournaments in this Tier.

Ranking points are also available at certain International Tennis Federation (ITF) events below Tier IV (see next section) as well as the Olympics.

[edit] Ranking

The organization releases a weekly ranking of the players's performance in the tour. Players' ranking points are counted how they fare on individual rounds of a tournament (round points). The following table gives the distribution of "round points" (note that these values were changed for the 2007 season):

Description	W	F	SF	QF	R16	R32	R64	R128	QLFR	Q3	Q2	Q1
Grand Slam (Singles)	1000	700	450	250	140	90	60	2	31	25	15	2
Grand Slam (Doubles)	1000	700	450	250	140	90	2	-	24	-	-	-
SE Champs (Singles)	750	525	335	185	105	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
SE Champs (Doubles)	750	525	335	185	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Tier I $3,000,000 (Singles)	500	350	225	125	70	45	30	1	20	-	10	1
Tier I $3,000,000 (Doubles)	500	350	225	125	70	1	-	-	15	-	10	1
Tier I $2,000,000 (Singles)	465	325	210	115	65	40	25	1	15	-	10	1
Tier I $2,000,000 (Doubles)	465	325	210	115	65	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Tier I $1,340,000 (56S)	430	300	195	110	60	35	1	-	15	-	10	1
Tier I $1,340,000 (28S/32D)	430	300	195	110	60	1	-	-	20	15	10	1
Tier I $1,340,000 (16D)	430	300	195	110	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Olympics	353	245	175/135	90	48	28	-	-	-	-	-	1
Tier II $650,000 (28S)	300	215	140	75	40	1	-	-	15	10	5	1
Tier II $650,000 (16D)	300	215	140	75	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Tier II $600,000 (56S)	275	190	125	70	35	20	1	-	10	-	5	1
Tier II $600,000 (28S)	275	190	125	70	35	1	-	-	15	10	5	1
Tier II $600,000 (16D)	275	190	125	70	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Tier III $225,000 (32S)	165	115	75	40	20	1	-	-	5	-	3	1
Tier III $225,000 (16D)	165	115	75	40	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Tier III $175,000 (56S)	140	100	65	35	20	10	1	-	4	-	3	1
Tier III $175,000 (30/32S, 32Q)	140	100	65	35	20	1	-	-	8	4	3	1
Tier III $175,000 (30/32S, 16Q)	140	100	65	35	20	1	-	-	4	-	3	1
Tier III $175,000 (16D)	140	100	65	35	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Tier IV $145,000 (32S, 32Q)	115	80	50	30	15	1	-	-	7	3	2	1
Tier IV $145,000 (32S, 16Q)	115	80	50	30	15	1	-	-	3	-	2	1
Tier IV $145,000 (16S, 16D)	115	80	50	30	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
ITF $100,000 + H* (32)	75	55	40	20	10	1	-	-	3	2	1	-
ITF $100,000 + H* (16)	75	55	40	20	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
ITF $100,000 (32)	70	50	35	18	9	1	-	-	3	2	1	-
ITF $100,000 (16)	70	50	35	18	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
ITF $75,000 (32) + H*	65	45	29	16	8	1	-	-	3	2	1	-
ITF $75,000 (16) + H*	65	45	29	16	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
ITF $75,000 (32)	55	39	25	15	7	1	-	-	3	2	1	-
ITF $75,000 (16)	55	39	25	15	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
ITF $50,000 + H* (32)	45	32	20	12	6	1	-	-	3	2	1	-
ITF $50,000 + H* (16)	45	32	20	12	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
ITF $50,000 (32)	35	25	16	9	5	1	-	-	3	2	1	-
ITF $50,000 (16)	35	25	16	9	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
ITF $25,000 (32)	25	17	12	7	4	1	-	-	1	-	-	-
ITF $25,000 (16)	25	17	12	7	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
ITF $10,000 (32)	6	4	3	2	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
ITF $10,000 (16)	6	4	3	1	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

(*) “+H” indicates that Hospitality is provided

A player's point total is calculated on a weekly basis, counting only tournaments played within the last year. The top 17 tournaments of the past year count toward a player's point total, with the lowest of the player's scores being dropped from the total. The exceptions are the four grand slam tournaments and the mandatory Tier I tournament, which always count toward the player's point total, even if their score in the slam is lower than another score achieved in a non-slam tournament. All players who qualify by ranking for acceptance into the main draw of a Grand Slam or the mandatory Tier I tournament will be entered automatically. Any player who is accepted into one of these tournaments and subsequently withdraws will automatically receive zero points for the tournament and will have it count as one of their best 17 tournament results.

In 1996, the WTA started awarding players "quality points", which were calculated based on the rankings of players they defeated in tournaments. This would give more points to a player who beat a top ranked player than one who beat a lower ranked player. Quality points were discontinued after the 2005 season and are no longer used.

[edit] WTA Rankings

WTA Rankings (8 September 2008)
Rk	Name	Nation	Points	+/-
1	Serena Williams	USA	4,091	▲⁺²
2	Jelena Janković	SRB	3,965	▬
3	Ana Ivanović	SRB	3,532	▼^-2
4	Elena Dementieva	RUS	3,430	▲⁺²
5	Dinara Safina	RUS	3,357	▲⁺²
6	Maria Sharapova	RUS	3,041	▼^-1
7	Svetlana Kuznetsova	RUS	2,571	▼^-3
8	Venus Williams	USA	2,386	▬
9	Vera Zvonareva	RUS	2,087	▲⁺¹
10	Agnieszka Radwańska	POL	2,076	▲⁺¹
11	Daniela Hantuchová	SVK	1,847	▲⁺¹
12	Anna Chakvetadze	RUS	1,782	▼^-3
13	Patty Schnyder	SUI	1,702	▲⁺²
14	Marion Bartoli	FRA	1,635	▼^-1
15	Victoria Azarenka	BLR	1,543	▼^-1
16	Flavia Pennetta	ITA	1,525	▲⁺³
17	Caroline Wozniacki	DEN	1,483	▲⁺¹
18	Alizé Cornet	FRA	1,384	▼^-1
19	Ágnes Szávay	HUN	1,299	▼^-3
20	Dominika Cibulková	SVK	1,232	▬

[edit] Records

[edit] Most titles won during the open era

Pos	Player	Titles
1	/ Martina Navratilova	167
2	Chris Evert	154
3	Steffi Graf	107
4	Margaret Court	92
5	Evonne Goolagong Cawley	68
6	Billie Jean King	67
7	Lindsay Davenport*	55
7	Virginia Wade	55
9	/ Monica Seles	53
10	Martina Hingis	43
11	Justine Henin	41
12	Venus Williams*	37
13	Kim Clijsters	34
14	Conchita Martinez	33
15	Serena Williams*	32
16	Tracy Austin	30
* = active player

[edit] Most titles won in a year during the open era

Before 1990 (15 +):
1. 21 - Margaret Court (1970)
2. 18 - Margaret Court (1969, 1973)
3. 17 - Billie Jean King (1971)
4. 16 - Chris Evert (1974, 1975)
4. 16 - Martina Navratilova (1983)
6. 15 - Evonne Goolagong Cawley (1970)
6. 15 - Martina Navratilova (1982)

Since 1990 (8 +):
1. 12 - Martina Hingis (1997)
2. 10 - Steffi Graf (1990, 1993)
2. 10 - Monica Seles (1991, 1992)
2. 10 - Justine Henin (2007)
5. 09 - Monica Seles (1990)
5. 09 - Steffi Graf (1995)
5. 09 - Martina Hingis (2000)
5. 09 - Kim Clijsters (2003, 2005)
9. 08 - Steffi Graf (1992)
9. 08 - Aranxta Sanchez-Vicario (1994)
9. 08 - Serena Williams (2002)
9. 08 - Justine Henin (2003)

[edit] Oldest winners of a title during the open era

Billie Jean King: 39 yrs, 7 mos, 23 days (1983 Birmingham)
Martina Navratilova: 37 yrs, 4 mos, 2 days (1994 Paris Indoors)
Margaret Court: 34 yrs, 4 mos, 26 days (1976 Melbourne)

[edit] Youngest winners of a title during the open era

Tracy Austin: 14 yrs, 0 mos, 28 days (1977 Portland)
Kathy Rinaldi: 14 yrs, 6 mos, 24 days (1981 Kyoto)
Andrea Jaeger: 14 yrs, 7 mos, 14 days (1980 Las Vegas)

[edit] Most matches won during the open era

Pos	Player	Wins
1	/ Martina Navratilova	1,442
2	Chris Evert	1,304
3	Steffi Graf	900
4	Virginia Wade	839
5	Arantxa Sanchez Vicario	759
6	Lindsay Davenport*	753
7	Conchita Martínez	711
8	Evonne Goolagong Cawley	704
9	Billie Jean King	695
10	Gabriela Sabatini	632
11	Pam Shriver	625
12	Helena Sukova	614
13	Nathalie Tauziat	606
* = active player

[edit] Singles career win-loss ratio during the open era

Rank	Player	Wins	Losses	Ratio
1.	Chris Evert	1,304	144	.901
2.	Steffi Graf	900	115	.887
3.	/ Martina Navratilova	1,442	219	.868
4.	/ Monica Seles	595	122	.830
5.	Serena Williams*	398	83	.827
6.	Justine Henin	493	107	.821
7.	Maria Sharapova*	305	70	.813
8.	Venus Williams*	503	119	.809
9.	Martina Hingis	548	133	.805
10.	Kim Clijsters	427	104	.804
* = active player

Minimum of 25 tournaments played. The source for this table is the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) as of July 9, 2008. For reasons that the WTA does not explain, the list omits players such as Billie Jean King (.818 win ratio in 850 matches), Evonne Goolagong Cawley (.810 win ratio in 869 matches), and Margaret Court.

[edit] Grand Slam title leaders

Player	Australia			France			Wimbledon			United States			Overall			Total
	S	D	MD	S	D	MD	S	D	MD	S	D	MD	S	D	MD
Margaret Court	11	8	2	5	4	4	3	2	5	5	5	8	24	19	19	62
Martina Navratilova	3	8	1	2	7	2	9	7	4	4	9	3	18	31	10	59
Billie Jean King	1	0	1	1	1	2	6	10	4	4	5	4	12	16	11	39
Margaret Osborne duPont	A	A	A	2	3	0	1	5	1	3	13	9	6	21	10	37
Louise Brough Clapp	1	1	0	0	3	0	4	5	4	1	12	4	6	21	8	35
Doris Hart	1	1	2	2	5	3	1	4	5	2	4	5	6	14	15	35

[S=Singles; D=Doubles; MD= Mixed Doubles; A = never played in the event]

[edit] Earnings

Career money leaders (as of September 8, 2008)

Rank	Player	Prize Money (US$)
1.	Lindsay Davenport*	22,144,735
2.	Steffi Graf	21,895,277
3.	Serena Williams*	21,750,782
4.	/ Martina Navratilova	21,626,089
5.	Venus Williams*	20,445,911
6.	Martina Hingis	20,130,657
7.	Justine Henin	19,461,375
8.	Arantxa Sanchez Vicario	16,942,640
9.	/ Monica Seles	14,891,762
10.	Kim Clijsters	14,764,296
* = active player

As of July 7, 2008
- 188 players have earned at least U.S. $1 million since 1970.
- 34 players have earned at least U.S. $5 million since 1970.
- 15 players have earned at least U.S. $10 million since 1970.
- 8 players have earned at least U.S. $15 million dollars since 1970.
- 6 players have earned at least U.S. $20 million dollars since 1970.