Serena Williams Is Back on Top of the WTA Rankings and Is There to Stay

With a win against No. 55 Ekaterina Makarova, Serena Williams will regain the No. 1 ranking that is so rightfully hers.

Although her meltdown in the semifinals of this year's US Open was not her shining point, Serena has no doubt been the top singles player this year on the women's tour.

Serena regained the No. 1 ranking with ease, dropping her Russian opponent in a 6-3, 6-2 win.

Coming into the tournament, Serena was promised to regain the top ranking by finishing better than Dinara Safina. Safina was knocked out of the tournament a day earlier, losing to Chinese wild card Zhang Shuai.

The loss to the No. 266 Shuai was the worst loss by a No. 1-ranked women's player in the history of the WTA.

After the match was completed, Serena said to reporters regarding the top ranking:

"I think I've earned it. I won two Grand Slams, and I should have got more. But you know what, I’m just excited to have those two, which is great."

Safina couldn't handle the pressure that the No. 1 ranking presented. With every passing tournament, Safina seemed to lose hope and belief in her game, and it showed in her play. She earned the No. 1 ranking by being a consistent performer, and once she reached the top, she catapulted down.

Serena is the top player in the women's game today, but that could change in an instant. She is prone to injury and lack of motivation herself, but I believe that regaining the top spot will give her more momentum heading into the final weeks of the season.

Serena's explanation for regaining the No. 1 ranking:

“I kept showing up and doing the best I could do. Sometimes there were unfortunate losses, but I really tried. And I think at end of the day that’s what matters.”

Last time Serena took the top ranking, she gave it back within a couple of months because of injury and lack of motivation. Look for Serena to play to the best of her ability, look to see the hunger that burns deep down within Serena, and most importantly, look for Serena to regain confidence in her game and in herself.

She has held the top spot for a combined 72 weeks in her career. That shows that she knows how to handle the expectations and pressure that the No. 1 ranking brings.  

Take notice, WTA Tour players:

Serena Williams Is Back on Top of the WTA Rankings and Is There to Stay.

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