Serena Williams has dropped out of the top 50 players globally for the first time since.
ACCORDING TO THE WTA RANKINGS RELEASED ON MONDAY, the US tennis star is now in 59th position.
The 40-year-old only played six events in 2021 and has not played since her emotional Wimbledon first-round exit due to an injury to her leg put an end to the former 22-time Grand Slam champion’s latest bid to beat Margaret Court’s record-breaking record.
Williams has fallen 12 spots in the rankings, which Ashleigh Barty heads ahead her match at the Australian Open in Melbourne.
Sydney champion Paula Badosa moves up to an all-time high of sixth after an incredible 2021 season in which she made it to the French Open quarter-finals, the 24-year-old Spaniard starting last year in 67th place.
American Madison Keys, a former world number seven, has surged 36 places to reach the 51st position following her Adelaide win, winning the WTA victory more than two years since her last win at Cincinnati.
WTA top 20:
1. Ashleigh Barty (AUS) 7,111 pts
2. Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) 5,698
3. Garbine Muguruza (ESP) 5425
4. Barbora Krejcikova (CZE) 5,213
5. Karolina Pliskova (CZE) 4,582
6. Paula Badosa (ESP) 4,264 (+3)
7. Anett Kontaveit (EST) 4,231
8. Maria Sakkari (GRE) 4,071 (-2)
9. Iga Swiatek (POL) 3,916 (-1)
10. Ons Jabeur (TUN) 3,500
11. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) 2,968
12. Elena Rybakina (KAZ) 2,765 (+1)
13. Sofia Kenin (USA) 2,762 (-1)
14. Naomi Osaka (JPN) 2,696
15. Simona Halep (ROM) 2,657
16. Cori Gauff (USA) 2,655 (+3)
17. Elina Svitolina (UKR) 2,641 (-1)
18. Emma Raducanu (GBR) 2,595
19. Petra Kvitova (CZE) 2,530 (+2)
20. Angelique Kerber (GER) 2,517 (-3)
59. Serena Williams (USA) 1,061 (-12)
