By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday March 23, 2022
Ash Barty will have her name removed from the WTA rankings removed after the Miami Open, which means that there will be a new No.1 on Monday April 4.
“My name will be taken off the list in the next ranking cycle,” Barty said at a press conference on Thursday. “It’s going to be an exciting time for the WTA Tour with a new No.1, and it’s going to be a really cool period for them now.”
Though it isn’t a lock yet, Iga Swiatek is first in line to take over for Barty. She simply needs to win her opening match at Miami to reach No.1. If she falters, Paula Badosa has a shot, but she’ll need to take the title to surpass Swiatek.
The new No.1 will be the 28th player to hold the WTA top ranking since the system began in 1975. Barty held the No.1 ranking for 114 weeks in succession, the fourth-longest streak all-time.
Things promise to get interesting down the road, with Swiatek, World No.2 Maria Sakkari, Badosa, Barbora Krejcikova and Anett Kontaveit all within striking distance.