Reaching the No. 1 spot in the WTA singles rankings is an incredible accomplishment—but imagine being the top-ranked doubles player as well. That alone is an impressive feat.
Now, take it a step further—being ranked No. 1 in both singles and doubles at the same time. Only six women in history have achieved this extraordinary milestone, with one of them standing in a league of her own.
Since the WTA Rankings were introduced in 1975, a total of 29 women have held the No. 1 singles ranking, while 49 players have led the doubles rankings. However, only eight players have reached the top in both categories, and just six of them managed to do so simultaneously.
Current singles world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka has also achieved the rare singles-doubles No. 1 double, but not at the same time—she reached the top in doubles in 2021 before securing the No. 1 singles ranking in 2024.
Similarly, Venus Williams is missing from the list, as she was No. 1 in doubles from June to August 2010, but her singles No. 1 reign came in 2002.
The 6 women to be ranked at No 1 in singles and doubles at the same time:
5. Kim Clijsters – 3 weeks
Belgian tennis legend Kim Clijsters is a six-time Grand Slam champion, having won four singles titles and two doubles titles in her illustrious career.
She held the No. 1 spot in singles for a total of 20 weeks and topped the doubles rankings for four weeks. Impressively, she was ranked No. 1 in both categories simultaneously for three weeks.
Clijsters achieved this rare feat from August 18 to September 7, 2003.
5. Lindsay Davenport – 3 weeks
Lindsay Davenport sits joint-fifth for holding the world No. 1 ranking in both singles and doubles simultaneously for three weeks.
The American first claimed the No. 1 spot in doubles in 1997, followed by her singles No. 1 debut in 1998. However, she achieved the rare singles-doubles No. 1 double from April 17 to May 7, 2000.
A three-time Grand Slam singles champion and three-time doubles major winner, Davenport spent a total of 98 weeks as the world No. 1 in singles and 32 weeks atop the doubles rankings.
4. Arantxa Sanchez Vicario – 7 weeks
Spanish legend Arantxa Sánchez Vicario achieved the rare feat of holding the No. 1 ranking in both singles and doubles on three separate occasions.
In total, she spent 111 weeks as the world No. 1 in doubles and 12 weeks at the top in singles.
Her first singles-doubles No. 1 stint lasted one week in February 1995 (13-19), followed by a two-week reign from March 27 to April 9. She then had her longest stretch, four weeks from May 15 to June 11, cementing her place among the sport’s elite.
3. Serena Williams – 8 weeks
Tennis icon Serena Williams amassed an incredible 23 Grand Slam singles titles and 14 doubles major titles, all won alongside her sister Venus Williams. She also completed both the singles and doubles Career Grand Slam.
Williams held the world No. 1 singles ranking for 319 weeks, the third-most in WTA history behind Steffi Graf and Martina Navratilova. In doubles, she spent eight weeks at No. 1, all between June 7 and August 1, 2010, a period when she was also the top-ranked singles player.
2. Martina Hingis – 29 weeks
Martina Hingis ranks fifth all-time for the most weeks spent as world No. 1 in singles, holding the top spot for 209 weeks. She also enjoyed 90 weeks as the No. 1 doubles player.
The Swiss star won a total of five Grand Slam singles titles, 13 women’s doubles titles, and seven mixed doubles titles, with a career spanning from January 1997 to September 2017.
Hingis achieved the rare feat of being No. 1 in both singles and doubles simultaneously on five separate occasions. Her first stint lasted eight weeks from June 8 to August 2, 1998, followed by another eight-week period from August 17 to October 11.
In 1999, she topped both rankings for four weeks (June 7 – July 4) and again for two weeks (August 9-22). Her final seven-week reign at the top of both rankings occurred from January 31 to March 19, 2000.
1. Martina Navratilova – 103 weeks
Martina Navratilova cemented her legacy as one of tennis’ greatest players, winning 59 Grand Slam titles—18 in singles, 31 in women’s doubles, and 10 in mixed doubles.
She dominated the No. 1 rankings, spending 332 weeks atop the singles list (second only to Steffi Graf’s 377 weeks) and holding the No. 1 doubles spot for a record 237 weeks.
Navratilova was the first player to achieve the remarkable feat of being No. 1 in both singles and doubles simultaneously, and her reigns were nothing short of historic. Her first stint lasted an incredible 39 weeks, from September 10, 1984, to June 9, 1985. She briefly returned to the top in both rankings for two weeks (October 14-27, 1985).
Her third spell was the most dominant, as she held both No. 1 rankings for over a year, from June 9, 1986, to August 16, 1987—a record-breaking reign.
