OFF: Should Players Reach No. 1 Without Winning A Grand Slam?
Posted by Aaress Lawless on Aug 1, 2008 | Print |
Jelena Jankovic is once again standing on the threshold of capturing the No. 1 ranking for the first time in her career.
But should players become No. 1 without winning a major title? Or does the Tour’s ranking system need an overhaul? Tell us your opinion in today’s edition of Open Forum Friday!
Because defending champion Ana Ivanovic was upset yesterday in the third round of the Rogers Cup, Jelena Jankovic has scored another opportunity to become the best player in the world. She had a chance to do it last week at the East West Bank Classic, but failed to win the title, which would have given her enough ranking points to overtake her countrywoman.
All Jankovic needs is a run to the final in Montreal—and it will not matter if she loses the championship match.
If Jankovic does claim the top spot, she would have achieved it the hard way. The congenial Serbian has never reached the final at a Grand Slam, and has won only six career tournaments, including just one title in the past thirteen months. In a nutshell, this is a classic example of quantity versus quality.
Her crowning as No. 1 may not come this week in Canada, but because of Ivanovic’s poor results since Paris and Maria Sharapova’s shoulder injury, Jankovic has a pristine shot at accomplishing this sooner, rather than later.
Everyone, thank you for participating in today’s discussion. Have a great weekend!
Update: Jankovic’s ascent to No. 1 will have to wait for another week. The second seed just bowed out of the Rogers Cup in the quarterfinals with a straight sets loss to Dominika Cibulkova.
However, as this issue is almost certain to arise again in the near future, feel free to keep discussing the subject in the comments below.
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Kurt | Aug 1, 2008 | Reply
Credit to Jankovic for playing consistently well, but it would be a slight embarrassment to the WTA tour for her to be no. 1 in the world. She has never even reached a grand slam final. Ivanovic is a good no. 1, but she’s not ready to dominate, and the rankings are so close that I think we’ll see a couple different no. 1’s before the year is out.
I have to say that this is all because of Henin’s retirement. After thoroughly dominating the sport, no one is ready to really fill that void.
TLT | Aug 1, 2008 | Reply
Jankovic has been playing consistently but she can’t deliver past Semifinals. At least she is making those though, Ana can’t even get anywhere close to those rounds at this point! I am very disappointed in her.
I’d much rather have Ivanovic as #1 cause she has won a slam - Jelena will have no credibility on the tour as the #1 without any Slams or Major victories. Olympics maybe?
Steve Pouliot | Aug 1, 2008 | Reply
If Jelena becomes #1 more power to her. The WTA set up the rules and point system and she has taken full adnantage of it. It sure isn’t her fault the system allowed this to happen. I don’t see anyone who really deserves to be #1 right now, so she may s well hold the title til it gets solved at the US Open, hopefully.
Keith | Aug 1, 2008 | Reply
Of course if a player earns the number one position, they deserve it. Furthermore, while Clijsters and Mauresmo both got to number one before winning a slam, they DID go on and win a slam. In my opinoin, anyone that gets to number one is capable of winning a slam, and history has shown us that they will end up winning a slam. The rankings are about numbers, not opinions. It really is a dumb question to ask if a tennis player should reach number one without winning a slam because it certainly is possible. Duh!
Aaress Lawless | Aug 1, 2008 | Reply
Keith,
Open Forum Fridays are all about opinions. While we have the comments open on almost every article, OFF is a special weekly opportunity for our readers to share their opinions, whether they disagree or agree with the question or everyone else’s answers.
The question of should a player reach the top spot without a Grand Slam is two-fold, if you’ll notice the second paragraph. Clearly, it is based on the ranking system, but we’re also discussing if there is a possibility of a better ranking system and one that places more weight behind a Grand Slam title.
A player can definitely reach No. 1 without winning a major, just like your two examples of Mauresmo and Clijsters. No one is disputing that—it has happened before and could very well happen again as soon as Monday. But the question is SHOULD this happen.
KC | Aug 1, 2008 | Reply
Maybe is she played less tournaments going into the slams, she would have a better chance of reaching the final. But it’s her choice if she wants to earn her points by playing more tournaments than the others.
She has played 4 semi finals (she lost 3 of them against the eventual champion and 1 very close match at the US Open 2006 against Henin)… so I wouldn’t say that she hasn’t got what it takes to win a grand slam.
Not everybody is capable of dominating for a longer period and now we just have to wait untill one of these women takes over from Justine (or hope that Justine makes a comeback :-D)
WilliamsFan | Aug 1, 2008 | Reply
I hate that this is even a possibility.
Does any know if Is it possible in the mens game for this to happen?
Fortunately she choked once again, i think from 5-1 up in the first set against cibulkova she only won three more games, and the point is moot for now. I’d bet that she doesnt want the scrutiny that will come with this ranking until she wins a major.
Aaress Lawless | Aug 1, 2008 | Reply
Part of Jelena’s problem is that she simply plays too often. By the time the semifinals and finals of events roll around, she is exhausted and walking wounded.
She is one player who should never complain about the calendar being so full.
Rogers Cup is her fourteenth tournament already this year, which is more than some players participate in all season.
TLT | Aug 1, 2008 | Reply
And Jelena bites the dust…
I’m afraid life rarely gives 3rd chances - lets hope Ana can pick it up at the Olympics.
milanolino | Aug 1, 2008 | Reply
Since there is so much weight placed to Gran Slams why play more tournaments if you are top player.
Williamses and Sharapova and others declined to play Rogers in recent years, because of Flashing Medows.
This is all wrong!
Gave | Aug 2, 2008 | Reply
I think it isn’t proper for someone who hasn’t won or even reach a GS final yet be heralded as the top-ranked player. Like what you said, this is a case of quantity versus quality. My proposition is, what if the WTA adopts a weighted average style of computing for the points. Say, if a player gained the following points in 4 tourneys she participated in - 110, 430, 60, 25 - that would give a ranking points equal to 156.25 (computed by dividing the total points by the no. of tourneys). In this way, cases like JJ can be avoided.
Lana | Aug 2, 2008 | Reply
But Jelena is first in the Race list, that means something, doesn’t it??
I think that she deserves to be No. 1 and I’m really sorry she lost yesterday. Speaking about Ana, I don’t think winning Grand Slam is enough to be No. 1, it is something great and for respect, but I think all other results and constantly good game should count and not crashing out in second or third round as Ana did in Miami, Rome, Wimbledon and now Montreal! JJ had five semis this year (Australian Open, Dubai, Indian Wells, Roland Garros, Los Angeles). And as I said JJ is first in the Race list…and I checked now, for example, last year in April she was also first in Race list, and was with Henin first to qualify for season-ending Sony Ericsson Championships.
My opinion is that she deserves this top spot and I hope she’ll become No. 1 very soon!
KC | Aug 2, 2008 | Reply
Apprently Jankovic will become number 1 next week …
http://www.tennis.com/news/ticker.aspx
KC | Aug 2, 2008 | Reply
Apparently Jankovic will become No. 1 next week …
http://www.tennis.com/news/ticker.aspx
Lana | Aug 2, 2008 | Reply
I’m glad to hear that! Thanks for the info KC.
KH | Aug 2, 2008 | Reply
On one hand, I’m not to worried about JJ becoming no.1. Maybe it’ll motivate the other girls that someone who’s never been to a final of a slam is at the top while there are five girls in the top eight who have won slams and another who’s been to two finals.
Ivanovic can’t seem to put together two good matches since she won the French. Sharapova’s probably out for the rest of the year. Kuznetsova’s streaky. The Williams sisters only play four tournaments a year.
For my money, Safina should be number one. I think she’s more than capable of beating any player at this point. She’s the most consistent as far as results. She has at least been to a final of a slam. She’s playing much better than any of the girls ahead of her. Sad that’s she’s no. 8. So, I’m starting a campaign, SAFINA FOR NUMBER 1!
Gave | Aug 2, 2008 | Reply
Well for me, it isn’t surprising that JJ is the No. 1 in the race list, after all, she’s been playing double the number of tournaments than any other top players - that made her gain so many points in every tournament she participated in. But in my opinion, she wasn’t that impressive.
About Safina, she seems to be having another hot streak again. But still, kudos to Maria for playing the most impressive tennis during the early months of the season, then Serena for these past few months.
And it seems like the final GS of the year will be pretty wide open for everyone considering that Maria can’t play and the Williamses are both injured =(
Van | Aug 4, 2008 | Reply
Hi all! She’s at number 1, and I kind of have mixed feelings about it: On one, she gets out there and is always playing so it can be said that she’s worked hard to reach that spot. On the other, she’s never made a Slam final! And a player shouldn’t get to number 1 without having accomplished that!
Years ago, on the men’s side, Marcelo Rios got to the top spot without having won a Slam, but he did make the finals of the Aussie before that, which pushed him along.
I think the WTA’s ranking system definitely needs an overhaul. It’s weird: Look how well Dinara Safina’s been doing and she can only inch up a couple of spots.
pov | Aug 5, 2008 | Reply
I agree that the ranking system can certainly be improved. At the same time, the lack of a GS doesn’t really bother me and I can’t think of a viable system that would make that a must. What I’d like to see is more weight on the mandatory events and fewer other tournaments allowed.