World number 1 ranked female tennis players is a year-by-year listing of the female tennis players who were ranked as world No. 1 by various contemporary and modern sources.

Notes:

The Women's Tennis Association introduced a computerized ranking system in November 1975, which is incorporated into this list. The International Tennis Federation's year-end number 1 classification that was introduced in 1978 is no longer named as such, and has evolved into the ITF World Champion designation and award. The Women's Tennis Association has awarded a WTA Player of the Year award each year since 1977.

List of No. 1 ranked players

Pre-1920: National rankings; few sources available YearSources and notes1883Maud Watson:

The Pastime classification of British players.1884Maud Watson:

The Pastime classification of British players.Pastime, October 1, 18841885Maud Watson:

The Pastime classification of British players.Pastime, September 16, 18851886Maud Watson:

The Pastime classification of British players.Pastime, September 22, 18861887Lottie Dod:

The Pastime classification of British players.Pastime, September 28, 18871888Lottie Dod:

The Pastime classification of British players.Pastime, October 3, 18881889Lottie Dod:

The Pastime classification of British players.Pastime, October 9, 18891890Louisa Martin:

The Pastime classification of British players.Pastime, October 8, 18901891Lottie Dod:

The Pastime classification of British players.Pastime, October 7, 18911892Lottie Dod:

The Pastime classification of British players.Pastime, October 12, 18921893Lottie Dod:

The Pastime classification of British players.Pastime, October 18, 18931894Blanche Bingley: The Pastime classification of British players.Pastime, October 3, 18941895Louisa Martin:

The Pastime classification of British players.Pastime, October 2, 18951896Blanche Bingley Hillyard, Louisa Martin:

The Lawn Tennis classification of British players.The Lawn Tennis classification of British players, October 14, 18961897Charlotte Cooper, Blanche Bingley Hillyard:

The Lawn Tennis classification of British players.The Lawn Tennis classification of British players, October 13, 18971898Charlotte Cooper:

Lambert Chambers. The Lawn Tennis classification of British players.The Lawn Tennis classification of British players, October 5, 18981899Blanche Bingley Hillyard:

Lambert Chambers. Louisa Martin:

Lambert Chambers. The Lawn Tennis classification of British players.The Lawn Tennis classification of British players, March 7, 19001900Blanche Bingley Hillyard:

Lambert Chambers. The Lawn Tennis classification of British players.1901Charlotte Cooper Sterry:

Lambert Chambers. The Lawn Tennis classification of British players.1902Muriel Robb:

Lambert Chambers. The Lawn Tennis and Croquet classification of British players.The Lawn Tennis and Croquet classification of British players, December 3, 1902

Charlotte Cooper Sterry:

Lambert Chambers.1903Dorothea Douglass:

Lambert Chambers. Louisa Martin:

Lambert Chambers. The Lawn Tennis and Croquet classification of British players. German international rankings.1904Dorothea Douglass:

Lambert Chambers. The Lawn Tennis classification of British players. The Lawn Tennis and Badminton classification of British players.Lawn Tennis and Badminton, April 26, 19051905May Sutton:

The Lawn Tennis and Badminton classification of British players and the American and Australian visitor.Lawn Tennis and Badminton, March 7, 19061906Dorothea Douglass:

The Lawn Tennis and Badminton classification of British players and the American and Australian visitors. German international rankings.1909May Sutton:

The Lawn Tennis and Badminton classification of British players and the American and Australian visitor.

1921–1967: The Amateur Era YearNo. 1 playerSources and notes1921Lenglen:

A. Wallis Myers, The Daily Telegraph (London). B. H. Liddell Hart.1922Lenglen:

A. Wallis Myers, The Daily Telegraph (London).1923Lenglen:

A. Wallis Myers, The Daily Telegraph (London). B. H. Liddell Hart.1924Lenglen:

A. Wallis Myers, The Daily Telegraph (London).1925Lenglen:

A. Wallis Myers, Daily Mail (London). Bill Tilden.1926Lenglen:

A. Wallis Myers, Daily Mail (London).1927Wills:

A. Wallis Myers, Daily Mail (London). Bill Tilden. American Lawn Tennis.1928Wills:

A. Wallis Myers, Daily Mail (London).1929Wills:

A. Wallis Myers, Daily Mail (London). F. Gordon Lowe.1930Wills Moody:

A. Wallis Myers, Daily Mail (London). Pierre Gillou, president of the French Tennis Federation. Jean Samazeuilh. Bill Tilden.1931Wills Moody:

A. Wallis Myers, Daily Mail (London). Pierre Gillou. Didler Pioline, L'Auto. Bill Tilden.1932Wills Moody:

A. Wallis Myers, Daily Mail (London). Pierre Gillou. Bill Tilden.1933Wills Moody:

A. Wallis Myers, Daily Mail (London). Pierre Gillou. Jacobs:

Herald-Tribune.1934Jacobs:

Ned Potter, American Lawn Tennis.

Round:

A. Wallis Myers, Daily Mail (London). Pierre Gillou.1935Moody:

A. Wallis Myers, Daily Mail (London). S. Wallis Merrihew. Ned Potter, American Lawn Tennis. Pierre Gillou. The Times1936Jacobs:

A. Wallis Myers, Daily Mail (London). Pierre Gillou. Fred Perry. Harry Hopman. Mervyn Weston. The Times.

Krahwinkel Sperling:

Ned Potter, American Lawn Tennis.1937Lizana:

A. Wallis Myers, Daily Mail (London). Ned Potter, American Lawn Tennis. Round:

Pierre Gillou. Mervyn Weston. The Times. Harry Hopman. Alfred Chave, The Telegraph (Brisbane).1938Wills Moody

A. Wallis Myers, Daily Mail (London). Ned Potter, American Lawn Tennis. Pierre Goldschmidt, L'Auto. Pierre Gillou. Mervyn Weston, The Argus (Melbourne). "International", The Referee. F. Gordon Lowe. The Times. G. H. McElhone. Alfred Chave, The Telegraph (Brisbane).1939Marble:

Ned Potter, American Lawn Tennis. American Lawn Tennis. Gordon Lowe. Pierre Gillou. G. H. McElhone. The Times. Alfred Chave, The Telegraph (Brisbane)1940– 1945none (World War II)The United States Lawn Tennis Association continued to rank U.S. players during the war years:

Alice Marble (1940). Sarah Palfrey Cooke (1941 and 1945). Pauline Betz (1942, 1943, and 1944).1946Betz:

Ned Potter, American Lawn Tennis. Pierre Gillou. Harry Hopman.1947Brough:

Ned Potter, American Lawn Tennis.

Osborne duPont:

John Olliff, Lawn Tennis Almanack. Pierre Gillou.1948Brough:

Pierre Gillou.

Osborne duPont:

Ned Potter, American Lawn Tennis. John Olliff, Lawn Tennis Almanack.1949Osborne duPont:

Ned Potter, American Lawn Tennis. Pierre Gillou. John Olliff. Harry Hopman.1950Osborne duPont:

Ned Potter, American Lawn Tennis. John Olliff, Lawn Tennis Almanack.1951Hart:

Ned Potter, American Lawn Tennis. Pierre Gillou, Lawn Tennis Almanack.1952Connolly:

Ned Potter, American Lawn Tennis. Lance Tingay, Daily Mail (London).1953Connolly:

Ned Potter, World Tennis. Lance Tingay1954Connolly:

Ned Potter, World Tennis. Lance Tingay, The Guardian (London). Panel of 8 experts, The New York Times.1955Brough:

Lance Tingay

Hart:

L'Équipe. Ned Potter, World Tennis.1956Fry:

Ned Potter, World Tennis. Lance Tingay1957Gibson:

Lance Tingay, The Daily Telegraph (London). Ned Potter, World Tennis. British Lawn Tennis reader's poll.1958Gibson:

Lance Tingay Ned Potter, World Tennis. British Lawn Tennis reader's poll.1959Bueno:

Lance Tingay Ned Potter, World Tennis. British Lawn Tennis reader's poll.1960Bueno:

Lance Tingay, The Daily Telegraph (London). Ned Potter, World Tennis.1961Hard:

The Miami Herald.

Mortimer:

Lance Tingay Ned Potter, World Tennis. British Lawn Tennis reader's poll. Denis Lalanne, L'Équipe.1962Smith:

Lance Tingay, The Daily Telegraph (London). Ned Potter, World Tennis. British Lawn Tennis reader's poll. Ulrich Kaiser, from a panel of 13 experts (unanimous).1963Smith:

Lance Tingay, The Daily Telegraph (London). Ned Potter, World Tennis. British Lawn Tennis reader's poll. Ulrich Kaiser, from a panel of 13 experts (unanimous).1964Bueno:

Ned Potter, World Tennis. British Lawn Tennis reader's poll. Ulrich Kaiser, from a panel of 14 experts.

Smith:

Lance Tingay, The Daily Telegraph (London).1965Court:

Lance Tingay, The Daily Telegraph (London). Ned Potter, World Tennis. British Lawn Tennis reader's poll. Sport za Rubezhom (Russia). Ulrich Kaiser, from a panel of 16 experts (unanimous).1966Bueno:

Bruce Walkley, Herald Sun (Melbourne, Australia). British Lawn Tennis reader's poll.

King:

Lance Tingay, The Daily Telegraph (London). Joseph McCcauley, World Tennis. Pierre de Thier, Belgium. Sport In The USSR.1967King:

Lance Tingay, The Daily Telegraph (London). Joseph McCauley, World Tennis. British Lawn Tennis reader's poll. Ulrich Kaiser, from a panel of 13 experts (unanimous).

1968–present: The Open Era YearNo. 1 playerSources and notes1968King:

Bud Collins. Lance Tingay, The Daily Telegraph (London). Rino Tommasi. Ulrich Kaiser, from a panel of 18 experts (unanimous). Seagram's (panel of experts). Joseph McCauley, World Tennis. The TimesThe Times (London), 25 September 1968, p. 131969Court:

Bud Collins. Joseph McCauley, World Tennis. Lance Tingay, The Daily Telegraph (London). Rino Tommasi. Frank Rostron, Daily Express.1970Court:

Bud Collins. Joseph McCauley, World Tennis. Judith Elian, L'Équipe. Lance Tingay, The Daily Telegraph (London). Mike Gibson (Wimbledon referee). Rino Tommasi. Rex Bellamy, The Times (London).The Times (London), 22 December 1970, p. 12 Tennis magazine (Germany).1971Goolagong:

Joseph McCauley, World Tennis. Lance Tingay, The Daily Telegraph (London). Björn Hellberg, Tennis Tidning (Sweden). Judith Elian, L'Équipe. Rex Bellamy, The Times (London).The Times (London), 31 December 1971, p. 5 Rino Tommasi. Frank Rostron.

King:

Bud Collins, The Boston Globe. Frank Rostron.1972King:

Tennis magazine (U.S.). Bud Collins. John Barrett. Lance Tingay, The Daily Telegraph (London). Rino Tommasi. Frank Rostron. Neil Amdur, World Tennis. Rex Bellamy, The Times (London).The Times (London), 13 December 1972, p. 91973Court:

Bud Collins. John Barrett. Lance Tingay, The Daily Telegraph (London). Rino Tommasi. Tennis magazine (U.S.). International poll of 17 tennis writers (unanimous). Rex Bellamy, The Times (London) and World Tennis.The Times (London), 3 January 1974, p. 71974Evert:

World Tennis. Lance Tingay, The Daily Telegraph (London). John Barrett. Judith Elian, L'Équipe. Rino Tommasi. Tennis magazine (U.S.). Rex Bellamy, The Times (London).The Times (London), 3 January 1975, p. 6 USTA.

King:

Bud Collins.1975Evert:

WTA year-end No. 1. Bud Collins. John Barrett. World Tennis. Lance Tingay. The Daily Telegraph (London). Tennis magazine (U.S.). Rino Tommasi. Rex Bellamy, The Times (London).The Times (London), 30 December 1975, p.6 (Chris Evert, for World Tennis.)1976Evert:

WTA year-end No. 1. Bud Collins. World Tennis. Lance Tingay, The Daily Telegraph (London). Tennis magazine (U.S.). John Barrett. Rino Tommasi.1977Evert:

WTA year-end No. 1. Bud Collins. France Presse. John Barrett, Financial Times (London) Judith Elian, L'Équipe. Lance Tingay, World of Tennis. Tennis magazine (U.S.). Peter Bodo, Tennis magazine (U.S.). Barry Lorge. Rino Tommasi, Tennis Club (Rome). Wataru Tsukagoshi, Tennis Japan. World Tennis.

Wade:

WTA Player of the Year.1978Evert:

ITF World Champion. Tennis Magazine (Australia). World Tennis. John Barrett. Joseph McCauley, Tennis Australia. Tennis magazine (U.S.). Rino Tommasi.

Navratilova:

WTA year-end No. 1. WTA Player of the Year. Bud Collins. Lance Tingay, World of Tennis.1979Evert:

Judith Elian, L'Équipe.

Navratilova:

WTA year-end No. 1. ITF World Champion. WTA Player of the Year. Jeffrey Bairstow and Peter Bodo, Tennis magazine (U.S.). World Tennis. Tennis magazine (U.S.). Alan Trengrove, Tennis Magazine (Australia). Bud Collins. John Barrett, Financial Times (London).